Boppatsu: ZDay
by SugaMama09
Summary: An injection meant to cure cancer turns people into zombies & Sesshomaru fights for his own & his little brother's survival while juggling his complicated love life. No incest but I can't tell you who Sessh is paired with ;D
1. Chapter 1

In a world that was 98% over-run by zombies & a life of fear was the only way to live, the last thing I was looking for was a relationship. It happened at the most inconvient time, in the most inconvienant place & could've potientially gotten me killed. But that was just the start of it all.

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Somewhere in America...

_The sirens were loud & blaring, almost as if it was right there in my ear. It was so loud, my eyes were watering. My heart was pounding; I felt like I was about to have a heart attack, it was beating so fast, so loud. People were screaming & running in every which direction but mostly they ran past me; whatever they were running from, I realized, I was walking towards. _

_I wasn't even sure where I was going. All I knew was that I was looking for someone, anyone, that I recognized so I would feel comforted. But the fear-distorted faces that flew by me were unfamiliar & that made me more scared than whatever was scaring them. I knew the alarms meant I needed to be running away too; I don't know why I wasn't. I'm going to blame it on me just being in shock._

_The crowd cleared somewhat & I saw ragged, bloody people on their knees, their face plunged into the bodies of the fallen. A few of them snatched their heads back, the flesh of the dead hanging from their mouths. Zombies. My heart practically stopped at the sight & I felt like I couldn't inhale anymore. How did they get in the gates? We had one of the best secured cities, as far as we knew; this shouldn't have happened. But obviously it did._

_One of the zombies began sniffing the air & its sickly yellow eyes settled on me before it snarled & leaped to its feet, sprinting towards me. For a split second I contemplated was it really worth running. Wheather it was or not, I didn't want to be turned into one of them. I took off as fast as my legs could take me across the park, almost tripping over someone's forgotten lunch._

_I could hear the zombie snarling behind me. I'm not sure if I was being paranoid or not but it sounded like it was getting closer. I struggled to push harder, run faster, without turning around. _

_By now I was back in the town & most of the crowd had disappeared into their homes. Where in the hell was I going to run to get away from this zombie? I figured maybe one of the houses I was running past held a gun, a baseball bat, some kind of weapon but that was too far a risk to take. Even if they did have a weapon, who's to say they would fight the zombie off to save me?_

_I was growing tired. I had to find somewhere to hide before I simply collasped from exhaustion. My eyes quickly darted back & forth as my legs slowly began to slow down. I happened to glance back & the zombie was still running after me though not as fast. In between snarls I could hear it wheezing, the air whistling into the hole in its throat. Good. I could afford to slow down a bit then. _

_I slowed into a jog & continued searching. By now not a soul was in sight & that freaked me out more than anything. No one was going to help me? They were just going to let me die & possibly turned into a zombie for their own selfish reasons? A hot, boiling anger simmered in my gut. Lowly bastards. They didn't have an ounce of honor in them; it was all about self these days. But honestly I couldn't be mad. These were really desperate times &-_

_I noticed a movement out the corner of my eye. When I looked, I choked on air as four zombies came stumbling out of an ally I had just passed. They snarled at the sight of me & ran towards me, prompting me to sprint as well. I couldn't keep this up all through the city. Something had to give! _

_These zombies must have been really hungry because they were really pumping their legs & their ferocious growls were wild with the thrill of hunting. I wanted to cry._

_"Please, anyone!" I screamed, "Help me!"_

_I didn't really expect a response so I didn't feel let down when I didn't get one. I was afraid to turn & look at my pursuers even though I was very sure there were more of them now, judging from the increase in snarls I could hear. My breath was coming up short again & not just because I was afraid out of my mind. _

_"Please..." I whispered, too out of breath to yell, "Please...someone..."_

_"Hey, you!"_

_My head snapped to my left where a girl, who looked about my age, was waving at me from a rooftop._

_"There's a ladder down the next alley to your left. They can't climb!"_

_I wanted to thank her but her head ducked again & I couldn't see her anymore, not to mention I was too out of breath to say anything. I took the sharp left into the alley with a burst of energy, jumping at the ladder that was about six feet off the ground & trying to scramble up like a monkey but one of the zombies grabbed my ankle, yanking me backwards with surprising strength. I kicked at the rotting hand, screaming at the top of my lungs for the girl to come help me. I was too tired to pull myself up, much less shake this zombie off. In the meantime the rest of the zombies that had been chasing me & some that had come at the sound of my screaming & more were grabbing my legs & tugging me back down._

_I didn't want to die. Not like this, not this young. I'd watched shows & movies when the character got this burst of power from somewhere in them when they became desperate & they came out on time but even though I was desperate the burst of power didn't surface. Tears of fear streamed down my eyes as I realized my fingers were slipping._

_"Duck!"_

_I had enough sense to crane my head forward before I heard several deafening shots fired & my ankles were freed. I looked up at the girl who had a shot gun in her hands. She frowned down at me._

_"Well, hurry up. They will hear the shots & come running"_

_I wearily pulled my tired body up the ladder up onto the roof of an apartment building. I sat there panting, close to tears at the thought of almost dying. My heart felt ready to explode from the relief & my legs shook & twitched from all the running._

_The girl reloaded her gun & I gave her a weary look._

_"What?" she questioned, giving me a look, "Don't look at me like I don't know what I'm doing. My Dad was in the military & taught me everything I needed to know about guns"_

_She cocked it & I flinched. "S-so that wasn't your first time firing a gun?"_

_"Of course not though that's the first time I shot one of Them"_

_My eyes widened considerablly but she shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal_

_"Anyway we need to get out of this dump. Chances are, by nightfall, the zombies will be hungry enough to crash into these houses so it's not safe here anymore"_

_My eyebrows raised in concern. "Where could we possibly go? Tokyo is the closest city & it's 56 miles from here"_

_"I have my dad's truck near the back entrance. I can shoot through the lock & then barrel out of this city"_

_The girl turned, grabbed a duffel bag I hadn't noticed before & began to walk across the rooftops. I got up quickly & followed her._

_"Hey thanks for saving me, by the way" I said a bit bashfully, "I was about to be zombie meat"_

_"No problem. Figured I'd get lonely traveling by myself" she said smirking at me._

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_.._

_..._

Sector 45, formerly known as Tokyo, in the year of our Lord, 2344

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My name is Sesshomaru Taisho. I've lived in this area that used to be known as Tokyo for the past fifteen years. It took some time getting used to but honestly it wasn't that bad, as long as you stay equipped with the right weapons & minded your own business. It has a more formal name now: Area 45, sector 9. Makes it sound like some damn military post during some kind of war. Well, we kind of are in a war. A war that the human & demon race is losing by a terrible margin. Zombies took out 98% of the population. The population of the world, that is.

Because most of the population is out trying to feed off of the rest of the population, all major cities are pretty much huge gated communities. It's not bad if you don't mind being cooped up for the rest of your life. But leave these gates & your stuff gets thrown out with you. You get a gun with one bullet, loaf of bread & a block of cheese & a "may God have mercy on your soul" & then you're sent off. Try to come back if you want to, you'll just be shot before you reach the gate.

Long ago, scientists came up with a cure for cancer. It was such a stunning discovery, people were lined up for days, sometimes weeks to recieve the injection. Even though it costed more than a brand new car, people scrapped up the money somehow. There were some people, like my father who didn't believe in getting that injection for my mother, even though she was in stage four. Like the flu shot & the H1N1 vaccine, he felt it was really unnecessary & would probably do more harm than good. Still, mother suffered greatly until she was begging for the shot, begging to be cured, to be relieved of this pain. Father wasn't supportive of it but paid for it & she recieved the shot the day of my birthday.

Several weeks later she got flu-like symptoms. I moved back in with my parents to help with Mother whenever I could & keep her company while Father was at work & to basically babysit Inuyasha. This sickness left her weak & unable to eat so she practically withered away. A week after that she died in her sleep. Father mourned by staying locked up in the bedroom with her; my little brother & I could hear his wailing from our room upstairs. & then one day...we heard him scream.

Inuyasha, my little brother, shot up from his bed & sprinted across the hall to bang on my door but I had already opened it.

"Sessh, what the hell was that?" he whispered in a harsh voice. He looked like he'd been crying & his voice cracked though I wasn't sure if it was from crying or fear. I will admit, I was just as afraid myself.

"We need to go check on Father. He could be hurting himself" I said in a low voice that gave none of the fear I felt away.

I noticed Inuyasha's hands were trembling. Why were we so afraid? All we just heard a scream. I guess it was the fact that it sounded so..._terrified_...

Something told me to grab the baseball bat that rested right behind my door. Both of us crept very slowly down the stairs, through the kitchen & down the hall to our parents' room. The smell of rotting flesh had Inuyasha & I gagging. We could smell it even from our rooms but it smelled even stronger this close to their room.

There was a strange noise coming from their bedroom, something that sounded like a cross between heavy weezing & soft snarling. It sent goosebumps down my arms & made the hairs on the back of my neck & arms stand on end.

"Sessh, I'm not liking this..." Inuyasha whispered so softly I almost didn't catch it.

I flexed one hand on the baseball bat while reaching for the door with the other. It was still locked.

"Father?" I called.

The noise from inside stopped immediately & it grew deathly quiet. I felt the strangest urge to scream & run away; I had never before been this afraid in my entire life.

"F-Father, are you alright?" Inuyasha called after some time, his voice trembling.

"The door is still locked" I said under my breath, "Won't we be able to come in through their window from yours?"

I think maybe Inuyasha nodded, since I could feel the motion through his body which was pressed against mine, but then he realized it would've been smarter to just respond vocally. "Y-yeah"

We turned & trekked back up to Inuyasha's room in silence, making sure not to make a sound. I don't know why it was so important to be quiet; something about it growing so deathly quiet inside the room, I would assume.

Inuyasha slid his screen-less window open & I stepped out onto the slightly sloping roof first, making sure to keep my back pressed against the house. Inuyasha followed after taking a couple of deep breaths. We made our way to the front of the house & I was faced with the option of going through their bathroom window or taking a risk & hoping if I drop from the ledge I'd land on their balcony. I didn't feel like taking that chance, especially since Inuyasha was afraid of heights so I lifted the window.

Their bathroom was pitch dark & smelled mildewy. I thought about turning on a light but then we'd just be blinded by the time we make it to the bedroom, considering the lights were off in there as well. Inuyasha's hand grabbed on to the back of my shirt.

"Sessh, I...I have a seriously bad feeling about this, man...I think we should call 911" he whispered softly, voice trembling.

"Shhhh..." I breathed, walking slowly to the door that led to their bedroom.

I could hear noises again but not like what I heard before. It sounded like someone walking...or rather, stumbling around. From the sounds I knew exactly where Father was: he bumped into the nightstand with their TV on it, grunted, bounced off the bedpost & right into the ottoman, which caused him to fall into the comfortable chair. Then I heard a snarl so unfamiliar, my legs twitched. I wanted to sprint out of there & get out of this house. Everything in me was screaming at me to do so.

"Father?" I said. My voice sounded so loud.

The snarling immediately silenced & dread slid down my spine like molasses.

"Sessh...oh my God..." Inuyasha whispered, the pitch of his voice rising considerablly.

"Inuyasha, I want you to go back to your room" I whispered.

"What? Wait, Sessh, no-"

"Just do it, Yasha. Maybe Father isn't in the mood for an audience"

He could see the logic in that statement. I could almost see his ears swiveling as he considered it.

"I have this...r-really bad feeling, Sessh, I-I think we should j-j-j-just call 911"

By now his voice was nearly a squeak. If he kept this up he was going to give himself another anxiety attack.

"Yasha...go to your room. It'll be fine"

"N-no, I'm staying with you" he said with an ounce of authority.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have time to argue. "Father? Are you well?"

By now I had reached the door. I turned the round knob, ever so slowly & was nearly knocked onto my ass at the smell. It was such an awful smell, my eyes watered & my nose began to run. Though Father was mourning I still felt burying Mother was a far better idea than keeping her rotting corpse holed up in the-

Something barrelled into me, knocking me down to the floor. Awful, hot breath blasted in my face as...whoever this was snarled & snapped at me. Assuming what I was holding was an arm, it had a very strange, revolting texture to it, like hot, raw meat. All of three seconds passed by before I kicked whoever it was off of me & flexed the bat in my hands.

"What the hell, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha nearly shrieked behind me.

"Get back, Inuyasha! He's lost his mind!"

"I can't see! What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know! He just attac-"

Father came at me again, struggling to get his claws around my throat. Now that I thought about it, Father was not this lightweight. Though he certainly did lose a few pounds & some muscles since Mother died, his body felt a great deal lighter...slimmer than it should have been. Is it possible that this could really be him? Something about that train of though scared the shit out of me.

The snarls emitting from the being on top of me was not one I recognized...not right away. When I did, cold fingers gripped my heart & I actually felt like I was about to piss in my pants.

"Sessh! Sessh, dude I can't see!"

"Yasha, get back!"

I saw a dim light come on & the silhouette of who was on top of me. No, this definitely was not Father. I heard the flashlight application of Inuyasha's phone start up & kicked the black, snarling being off of me. Inuyasha's shaking hand turned the phone in my direction & he screamed, an impossibly hurt & disbelieving kind of wail that closed my throat.

"Oh my God! What the fuck-oh God!" he screamed over & over.

I couldn't even form words. My arms grew slack & I dropped the baseball bat, my whole body frozen. Prickling, icy fingers crawled down my back & over my skin, raising goosebumps & causing me to shudder. I think this was when I realized this was the begining of the end of the world. This was the start of a fear so great, not even I could hide the fact that I was quite literally shaking in my boots. If I had boots on anyway. This was my coming into adulthood moment, as I stared at the crazed strangely yellow eyes of my mother, with patches of loose flesh hanging around her once beautiful face, her wild hair seemingly floating in the air, as if she was underwater. Her slouching posture definitely was not her own. The snarls & grunts that slipped from her bared fangs were not the powerful ones I was used to. & the dried blood around her mouth...that was not her own.

Inuyasha was still crying & wailing behind me. I wanted to turn & run with him but I did not want to turn my back on Moth-...this...creature. & then a thought occurred to me.

"Yasha...use your flashlight to locate Father"

But before he could pull himself together a roar jerked us out of our frozen state behind us & we turned, forgetting about the creature that my mother had turned into to find Father...or what used to be of him. His neck was a bloody mess yet still somehow he was snarling, neck bent back at an angle that I knew was only possible because it was broken. He limped toward us, reaching out to Inuyasha who was closer. My little brother absolutely shrieked & I knew it was very possible we were going to die right here. Not that I wasn't going to try & survive though.

I backed up quickly from Father's reaching claws & slid away from Mother's before spinning, grabbing Inuyasha's wrist & pulling him to their bedroom door. I didn't know where I thought I was going to go. I didn't even know what I was going to do. I just wanted to get away. I hated not having a plan but I would plan as I went.

"OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod!" Inuyasha was screaming.

I could feel his arm jerking back & forth & could only hope that just meant he was dodging their attacks. I reached the door & fumbled with the small lock, growling in frustration that I couldn't get a grip on it since the fear had caused my hands to begin to sweat.

"Oh shit, Sesshomaru! Hurry up, _hurry up!_"

"I'm trying" I growled in a low voice. It was hard to see much less get a grip with slippery fingers.

"We're gunna die, oh my fuck, we're gunna die..."

"Give me a minute..."

"_We don't have a minute!"_

"I almost got it..."

_"SESSHOMARU!"_

I snatched the door open & shoved Inuyasha through so that he was safe. One of our parents grabbed the back of my shirt, wrenching me back with so much power I couldn't breathe. The collar of my t-shirt was so close on my neck I couldn't breathe.

"Sessh? Sessh!" Inuyasha screamed.

He grabbed my hand & pulled me towards him, tears of fear, of uncertainty, for the loss of our parents streamed down his face.

"I'm not gunna let you go!" he cried.

I was starting to suffocate; I'm surprised my shirt hadn't ripped yet. I noticed every jerk brought me closer & closer into my parents' bedroom. I could see that Inuyasha realized it but he refused to give up. He was gripping my hands so tight my fingers were white from loss of circulation.

"Sessh...oh God" Inuyasha panted, more tears streaming down his face.

"Rip...the shirt!" I growled huskily. My voice was breathless & throaty from being choked.

"If I do I'll have to let you go!"

"Rip...it!"

"I can't!"

"_Do it!"_

Inuyasha's right hand shot out & he ripped the front of my shirt down the middle, causing my parents to fall inside their bedroom. I collasped to my knees, slamming the door closed behind me, panting & struggling not to cry. I had to be strong now; I was the man of the household. But the thing was: this was not our house anymore. We had to leave.

Inuyasha was on the floor into front of me, on his knees & elbows, sobbing. He was saying something but I couldn't understand his words.

"We have to leave, Inuyasha" I said in a low voice, throat feeling scratchy, "Get a few things & let's go"

"Where will we go?" he asked in a small voice, lifting his head.

"I don't know. But we need to leave here & warn the police"

"They'll kill Mom & Dad!'

"That isn't Mother & Father anymore, Yasha!" I yelled, "They are flesh eating monsters & they will only do us harm!"

Inuyasha stared at me with huge unbelieving eyes. "How...how can you say that?" he whispered.

I sighed & stood, pulling him up with me. "Pack light & get your car keys. We're getting out of here"

We both packed quickly & grabbed a few snacks out of the cabinets & pantry, trying our hardest to ignore the annoyed snarls & growling coming from our parents' room, locking the front door behind us.

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That had been several months ago. It didn't take long before the 98% I told you about earlier of the world's population was turned into zombies. There were more people than I thought who were the original zombies, the ones that recieved the cure for cancer. It's no wonder why so many people scrapped for it: they had been so desperate to be cured. & now they were far much worse than dead. They were undead & stumbling around the earth, consuming the flesh of the last few remaining survivors, eating the animals when absolutely necessary.

Inuyasha & I travelled in his Dodge Charger, searching for the gated cities that we've always heard so much about, the cities that had 23 foot walls all around them, reinforced by the world's strongest metals. Sure, maybe that was a bit overdone but when it came to surviving this zombie outbreak no measure was too cautious. These were trying times & it was all about saving yourself. It was all about being overly cautious.

I sped through the deserted highway, my window rolled down as Inuyasha drifted in & out of consciousness in the passenger seat. We'd been driving for so long now I had to remind myself everyday where the hell we were going.

As I dodged abandoned vehicles Inuyasha sat up a little straighter. "Hey let's see if any of these cars have any water. I'm really thirsty"

"What happened to that gallon we took from that corner store yesterday?" I asked him frowning but keeping my eyes on the road.

Inuyasha's soft white ears drooped forward in shame. "Well see, one morning I woke up really thirsty..."

"For fuck's sake, Inuyasha!" I shouted, "We have to conserve water! We never know when we'll be able to get more!"

"No need to get bitchy with me, I already know that! Damn, what do you expect me to do, just die of dehydration?"

"You drink conservatively! Didn't your teachers tell you _anything _about saving energy sources?"

Inuyasha threw himself back into his seat with his arms crossed, face scrunched into an annoyed scowl. It was times like this when I wish he'd just grow up already but also times I wish I could just tell him that this was all a bad dream & everything was going to be ok & when he woke up Mother was going to make him those waffles he likes so much & Father was going to sneak him a shot of rum while Mother wasn't looking...but it'd all be a lie. He had been a senior in high school when this all started; he was too old for coddling. Still I couldn't help russeling his hair & smirking when he angrily pushed my hand away.

"We're already scrapping just to get by everyday, Yasha. I just don't want to see you suffer"

"So you get mad at me for drinking water...yeah, you _really _care about my suffering, huh?"

I exhaled heavily through my nose. "We just have to drink in moderation. When we find a gated city, you can drink as much as you want. But for all we know the next gated city is not for another fifty miles so we have to be smart about how much we eat & drink"

"Whatever" Inuyasha finally grumbled, which was his way of saying that I was right but he wasn't going to admit it.

I chuckled but then frowned as I approached an overturned eighteen-wheeler blocking the road. I stopped, killed the engine & tapped my fingers on the dashboard while I thought about what we should do. It wasn't like we could go around it with a guard rail on both sides which dropped steeply into a swamp.

"Maybe there's a car we can drive up ahead" Inuyasha said hopefully.

"Your car has great gas mileage, I don't want to risk leaving this & then we can't come back to it"

"Well hell it's not like we can go anywhere in this car. Let's just get out & look around"

I glanced at the horizon, noting the almost-setting sun. "Let's make it quick"

I grabbed my bat & then he & I climbed over the 18-wheeler & gazed out at the long stretch of cars. It was like it had been rush hour when everyone decided to abandon their cars. The highway was packed as far as the eye could see; getting out of here was not going to be as easy as we thought.

"Shall we go look for a car?" Inuyasha asked.

"That's quite a walk. It wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't a swamp on both sides of the road"

"Oh c'mon, you played basketball, football & ran track & you're complaining that it's quite a walk?" Inuyasha said laughing.

"I mean that's quite a walk because who knows how far we'd have to go before we find a car to drive clear or find a place where there's grass or woods beside the road instead of swamp"

Inuyasha made a noise that expressed he agreed. "But we have to. That's the only way to get out of here-"

There was a noise behind us & we turned to see a zombie stumbling out from behind a mini-van. Inuyasha & I dropped quietly to our stomachs, hoping we hadn't been spotted.

"You have that gun?" I whispered.

"Shit...I left it in the car"

I swore. I preferred long-range attacks but I guess this is as good a time as any to put my bat to work. I slipped it out of my belt-loop & got ready to stand until I saw three more zombies stumbling out from behind cars...& then more & more...until there had to be hundreds.

"Oh...shit" Inuyasha whispered softly.

The crowd of zombies ambled by, their stench causing my nose to wrinkle. A few of them raised their heads & sniffed the air, looking around for whatever scent they smelled & baring their teeth. I knew they could hear our hot, wet hearts pushing out that fresh, hot blood they liked so much, supplying oxygen to the muscles their teeth couldn't resist ripping through. I knew that to catch the wiff of something so delicious was frustrating, especially when it was so close & yet so far.

The horde was never-ending; several times Inuyasha grimaced when his stomach growled loudly, causing a few zombies to stop & look around & my bladder was bothering me greatly yet still more & more zombies appeared. It made me wonder where the hell they'd come from. I got the sense that the swamp probably hid them but I couldn't discuss it with Inuyasha to come to a conclusion; their hearing was almost as good as ours. Even the softest whisper would get their attention.

I glanced over at Inuyasha who was scooting over to the edge of the 18-wheeler, peeking then ducking back quickly as if he was trying to avoid being caught. I waved at him angrily, motioning him to be still before he does something stupid but he waved me off.

"I'm gunna go get that gun" he mouthed to me

I could already see the look of absolute irritation on my face at the moment. I made a grunting noise to get his attention. "What the fuck do you need a gun for?" I mouthed.

He motioned to the horde impatiently.

I had no idea how to respond without shaking him by the neck until some sense got knocked into him. I glanced over the still multiplying number of zombies. How the hell did he expect his glock to take out all of these zombies? & why? We weren't in desperate need of it. As long as we stayed still & quiet they'd move on & then...well, I'm not sure after that. Moving forward to find a car & continue driving wasn't going to be as easy as before now.

I glanced over at Inuyasha only to find him gone. I nearly dropped my bat in panic & wriggled my way over to to edge where Inuyasha was crouched on the ground behind the guard rail, holding it tightly while he quickly skittered to where his car waited. My heart felt like it was in my ears & my hands produced more sweat as I watched him, praying none of the walking dead saw him. When he was right across from his car, my body grew cold all over. There was no way he was going to get to his car with the horde in the way. Sure, I could see where they were starting to thin out but I doubted Inuyasha would be able to wait long enough for it to clear out.

_'God, please be careful...'_

Inuyasha slipped under the nearest car to him & darted under the car next to that one, startling a zombie who shook its head wildly & stood there for a moment before continuing. I sighed but didn't relax. I probably had the bravest but also the most idiotic little brother.

When he was beside the car that was beside his own, a zombie happened to see him slip under it & dropped to its knees to grab at Inuyasha's legs. I couldn't see Inuyasha, which caused my heart to hammer & my muscles to lock in fear. There were still many more zombies coming & if he made a sound he was going to inevitably...I had to think of something & I had to do it quickly.

Just as I looked up, I saw a white streak & suddenly he was in his car & frantically locking the doors & rolling up the window I had left down. He relaxed slightly even though now there were a dozen zombies hitting at the car; I could see his chest rising & falling quickly as he took deep breaths. Then his eyes locked with mine & the plead for help was so clear, my heart twisted. I had to lure the zombies away from him.

"Hey! Over here, you filthy bastards!" I yelled, jumping down from the trailer & swinging my bat in an arc, "Come get me"

They slowly turned towards me & growled low in their throats, running to me with their arms outstretched. I gave Inuyasha one last glance before I hurdled over the guard rail, only turning to check & make sure they were all following me, & made a big show of splashing through the swamp in case there was still a zombie lingering by the car. Many of them tumbled down the bank before splashing in the water or hitting the trees. As bad as the situation was it made me smile but I made sure to watch where I was going. I'm fairly sure this swamp held something unpleasant & I wasn't just refering to the smell.

I happened to just step onto the shore when I heard a wild splashing behind me. As I turned, something came out of the water & grabbed the zombies, taking them underwater. My eyes widened as I quickly backed far away from the shore where I felt safe. Alligators. There were at least three of them, all lunging out of the water like some kind of horrid, deformed dolphins & grabbed the zombies by their head or neck in their long, powerful jaws, usually breaking said neck or causing their backs to break under their heavy bodies as they splashed back into the water.

It was one of those scenes that you watch in horrid fascination: you wanted to look away, to get away but you couldn't. It wasn't that you were paralyzed with fear you just wanted to watch & see what happened. After about fifteen minutes the bloody water calmed & I couldn't see the alligators anymore. I could see body parts or the insides of the zombies floating around but if I didn't blink I could see them being snatched down into the water. Remembering that alligators were not just restricted to water, I ran a wide circle around the swamp, trying to find a bank so I could get back to the freeway. Even in places where I could see the bottom of the swamp, I refused to step in it. I was lucky the alligators didn't get me, considering all the splashing noise I made.

Though I had to cross a narrow strip of water about an hour later, at least I could see the bottom. The water only came up to just above my ankles so it didn't seem like it would hold an unseen alligator. I still ran quickly to the dry bank though.

The sun was about to set; I hated this time of the year when it would grow dark around 5:30. Judging from the position of the sun though it was about five o' clock. I carefully popped my head over the guard rail & was relieved to not be confronted with the horde I saw earlier. But now, as I stood up a bit straighter & looked for the overturned 18-wheeler & realizing I couldn't find it, I was faced with a pretty big problem: I was lost. Sense of smell was about as helpful as searching through the dark with Q-tip. All I could smell was the swamp, the dead & myself. Any traces I hoped to pick up of Inuyasha or something familiar could still be lingering so I began walking in the direction I was sure I had come from.

Silently, though, as the sun disappeared & the darkness crept up on me much sooner than I would have liked, I prayed to any god I ever fought, defended & heard of.

_'Please...please let Inuyasha be safe...'_

_._

_.._

_..._

I must say, I pat myself on the back for this one. Mostly because my goal was to reach six thousand words & I did it! =D I have some pretty good ideas for this story so be patient wiff me =]


	2. Chapter 2

[Claps excitedly] I was so surprised by the response I got for this story! I thought people would be like, "Ugh an apocalypic story again? Be original!" but because of the wonderful people who left equally wonderful reviews [even the one that I recieved in Spanish & I didn't understand a shit lick of it] it put me in a great mood & motivated me to write furiously & update quicker =]

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It was a long night. One of the longest, most loneliest & roughest nights of my life. I slept in an abandoned Jeep after it became completely dark; there wasn't any use in walking around at night on a highway that had absolutely no street lights which made you pretty much a walking duck. I could hear the animals out; sounds of howling & screaming, whining & snarling lasting all night. It was hard to tell whether they were just natural sounds or they had been turned into zombies as well. I don't know how I slept with all the noise & the constant fear of being cornered by a zombie (I watched in terror when a couple of them walked by the car & a bear came sniffing, standing on its hind legs to get a look into the car but finding nothing & eventually wandering off) but apparently I did because one minute it was dark & the next the sun was shining painfully in my face.

I got out slowly & stretched, sighing as my joints popped. My joints sounded like someone chewing on cartiledge, there were so many pops & creaks. One could never be prepared enough when it came to these zombies so I began to search the cars for any other weapons. I found things I wouldn't expect in a car: a crowbar, a butcher knife, a shotgun (with a decayed deer on top of the car I figured finding the shotgun wasn't too much of a surprise) & even a metal baseball bat. I found a large duffel bag & stuffed the weapons into it then proceeded to check for anything else useful. I didn't find much except a pistol, a bottle of Alieve, & a forgotten Burger King meal. I assumed this meal was from months ago so it wouldn't do any good to eat.

I heard rustling & raised my head over the car I was currently searching through, finding a wandering dog, its head raised as it sniffed. I hadn't seen an animal in God knew how long & it made me feel pretty shitty that my mouth began to water at the sight of it. It'd been a while since we'd eaten; there wasn't much to take out of our parents' house, just a few bags of chips, some Debbie snacks, a few boxes of cereal I'd bought a few weeks prior to the incident & a big bag of chocolates left over from Holloween. None of it made sufficient meals but they kept us from starving up until yesterday. With that thought, I figured Inuyasha was pretty hungry by now with his bottomless stomach & stood to call the dog over.

I whistled softly. "Come here, boy. Come on..."

The dog gave me a wary look before slowly walking over to me, its head down & tail swinging low.

"That's it. Come on...come on, boy...-"

Out of nowhere a zombie hurdled over the guard rail on the other side of the street & swooped the dog up from behind, ripping its way through the dog's fur before viciously chomping down on the dog's back all while the dog yelped & yipped. Once the zombie bit down on its spine it fell quiet & went limp, its eyes staring lifelessly down at the road. This happened in all of 3 seconds & that's all it took for me to pull out my gun & shoot the zombie in the face. I hadn't really meant to; frustration had just taken over me due to losing my meal.

The zombie's head reared back but then it straightened & snarled at me yet it squatted & continue eating the dog, his eyes darting around as if it was afraid of being caught with such a prize. I groaned in irritation & banged my fist on top of the car. Greedy ass zombie. Was their hunger ever sated?

As I glared at the feasting zombie, I realized that maybe shooting it wasn't the best idea. I could hear rustling & swore at my impulsivenes. One of the last things I needed was to be chased by another horde of zombies. I grabbed the duffel bag & gripped the metal baseball bat & continued on, turning back every once in a while to make sure the meal-snatching dog-eating zombie wasn't chasing me.

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..

...

So I concluded, after a thirty second walk, that shooting was definitely a bad idea. Zombies by the threes, sometimes fours, came crawling up the bank from the swamp & stumbling over the guard rails. I made an irritated noise in the back of my throat; of course I knew there were millions of people in this area but where the hell did they all come from? It was never-ending!

I originally was only going to hit the ones that got too close, the ones that approached me like they either knew they were no match or were trying to be sneaky. The majority of them just followed me slowly. But after a while they became impatient & snarled, springing at me with their claws (hands in some cases) extended. I twisted around & swung it with all the force I had in me, succeeding in bashing a few of their heads in with one swing. Still, 'bashing a few' wasn't enough & more & more were still coming. I hefted the duffel bag a little more secure on my shoulder & ran, turning every once in a while to bat at a zombie that got too close.

As I acended a hill & looked out over the horizon I noticed the 18-wheeler trailer down about half a mile & my heart rose in my throat in relief. But I couldn't bring all these zombies over there, knowing full well Inuyasha was probably just beyond that trailer so I turned & began wacking them with renewed energy, feeling the power in my arms & legs as one by one, I took them down.

After I wacked the last one in the head with so much force the bat felt like a knife going through butter, I started jogging to the trailer. I felt like smiling, I was so relieved to see something familiar & to know Inuyasha was safe. A flicker of a thought passed through my head: how would we get out of here? But I shook my head & got rid of the thought. We'd figure it out later. I felt so guilty leaving Inuyasha by himself in his car like that but how else could I have lured the zombies away? Of course, I did the right thing. There wasn't any other way to save him other than killing each zombie & that would've gotten me overwhelmed & killed (if I did hand to hand combat) or attracted more zombies (if I used a gun, even if I did have one at the time).

By the time I reached the trailer I was out of breath, my sides heaving & my chest burning but the relief over-powered everything.

I climbed on top of the trailer with the last bit of strength I had & my heart stopped. The car was empty, the driver side open & there was a splatter of blood on the inside of the windshield. I jumped down & rushed over to the car, looking in to find nothing. I don't know which is worse: not knowing where on this God-forsaken Earth your loved one is or not finding their body.

I collasped onto my ass right there beside the car, breathing hard. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Where the hell could he be? Is he alright?

"Fuck" I growled low in my throat, placing my face in my hands & clutching my hair.

I felt hopeless, lost. But I had to get out of here. & so began my long trek back up the road from where I had just come to find a car & drive the hell out of here, hoping that I was going to find Inuyasha somewhere along the way. But I didn't. After I got to the point where the road wasn't so congested with cars & I found a car with almost a full tank of gas I threw the duffel bag of weapons into the passenger seat & drove off, constantly looking into my rearview mirror.

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..

...

So I drove for miles. Drove for days. Drove until I felt like the drive was never going to end. & then one day I see a large gated city. Because of the heat & my lack of water & food I'd been seeing things for a while now (like a bunny with a pierced ear in the back seat, looking out the window & a milkshake in the cupholder by my hand). I was out in the middle of nowhere, desert stretching out all around me. I realized then that this had gone on for far too long for Japan to be reduced to a mostly desolate island, mostly over-run by the cannibalistic undead.

That night the car ran out of gas. & because there was no gas of course I couldn't go anywhere. The car then became my poor excuse for a shelter. I have no idea how long I stayed out there; time was very irrevalent when you had nowhere to go & even if you did there was a very big possibility that you weren't going to make it due to dehydration & starvation.

One day I just so happened to find a recently deceased deer which was kind of random but I wasn't going to complain. Judging by the smell & taste of its blood it was no more than a day old & though it was so disgusting to even think about eating it that it caused my stomach to roll uncomfortablly this was a matter of survival so I broke off one of its hind legs & tore into the flesh. There wasn't that much edible meat but I was sure it was enough to let me survive another day.

That night it rained & the sound of it hitting the roof of the car was the first comfort I've had in a long time. I'd looked in the trunk of the car earlier to look for a blanket but only found a starved zombie child in it who reached for me weakly. That was a sight I knew was going to be burned in my memory for the rest of my life.

I woke up feeling an uncomfortable pressure rising in my chest. I leaned out of the car door just in time to empty my stomach of what I assumed was yesterday's deer. Great. Now I can't keep any nutrition down. As I sat up & rubbed my eyes wearily, I noticed the gates to the city. Of course I assumed it was a mirage; with the lack of food & water it was just too good to be true. I blinked a few times to make the image go away but it stayed.

I sighed. I would have to walk to it even if it was a mirage since there was no point in staying here. The thing was, the city had to be another thirty miles or more away & in this heat, walking that far wasn't something I fancied right now. Oh well.

I grabbed the duffel bag of weapons & started walking, my hair protecting my neck from the worse of the sun's rays but when it began to stick to my neck & back I wish I'd had a rubber band or something to pull it up. & it was so heavy. Or was I getting weaker? I looked down at my hand & I did notice my arms looked a bit skinnier. I ran my fingers down my side & my ribs were more pronounced. But the thought of food made me gag. I just wanted some water.

I had been walking at least five hours & I was nowhere close to the gated city. I stumbled ungracefully every few steps, I was so weak & the heat was not making the matter any better. I finally collasped, first falling to my knees then face-first into the dry, hard ground. My panting caused sand to swirl into my mouth, making it drier but I didn't care. I was about to die anyway. There were several times when I considered taking one of the guns out of the duffel bag & shooting myself but I thought about Inuyasha & I just couldn't...

Inuyasha. I wonder how he was fairing at the moment. I wonder had he stumbled upon a gated city or a little group of survivors that took him in & are taking good care of him. I wonder if he was over-stuffing himself with glorious food & drinking to his heart's content, possibly thinking of me & hoping I'm ok. Even if he was selfish at times, it made me feel a bit better if I knew he was thinking about me. I hope he didn't think I abandoned him or that I failed him; I did what I could, I really did...

I was very barely aware of nightfall. I only noticed because my limbs shivered uncontrollably & my lower jaw shook, causing my breath to shudder & inhale more sand. I could feel my lips were chapped & gave a weak laugh when I realized just how far I'd stooped since this zombie apocalypse started. There was a time when I wouldn't dare leave my room until my hair was brushed, now it probably had so many tangles I might want to consider cutting it. I never let my skin become dry, much less let my lips get chapped. Inuyasha always accused me of being such a bitch, being such a perfectionist when it came to my looks. I let out another hoarse croak of a laugh that developed into a disgusting cough.

I wasn't raised on a certain religion; our parents let us do as we pleased but though I didn't believe in a particular god, I was fairly certain there was one. I wouldn't know whether to call him Buddha, Jesus, Allah or Shiva but I knew there was a higher power & right now I begged said god to keep Inuyasha safe & to take me quickly. This was becoming unbearable; I could no longer feel my limbs, I was freezing & hungry & thirsty, & I really needed to relieve myself but couldn't find the strength to get up. As much as it would've been easy to just soil myself I couldn't bring myself to. I was ashamed just considering it. Just because the world had gone to shit didn't mean my dignity had to...

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..

...

I woke up without opening my eyes. Everything I heard was a deep droning groan, like I was listening to things underwater. I could've sworn there were voices but I couldn't really tell. The light shined too brightly even through my eyelids; I could see the tiny blood vessels underneath it, noticed one of the vessels had popped & blood had spread in the lower right corner of my right eye.

Where the hell was I? Certainly I wasn't in the desert anymore. I was too comfortable & I felt strangely clean, not to mention I was now on my back rather than my stomach. I very slowly flexed my fingers, so slowly that I doubted anyone would've noticed even if they had been looking. My joints moved in jerky little movements & they creaked ever so slightly which reminded me of just how much my body needed water. The thing was I didn't feel thristy anymore...or hungry for that matter...

"I think he's waking" I heard a voice say.

I was still swimming around in a semi-conscious state but the voice was a bit clearer than the noise I first registered hearing.

"I'm surprised. Thought he was a goner..."

"He's gatta be a demon. No human would've survived out there for five days"

I'd been out there for five days? It felt like five years.

"Of course he's a demon. No mortal would have markings like that on their face"

"Or be that damn sexy"

I felt the corner of my mouth jerk very briefly into a half-smile.

"Hey, mister?" I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder, "Hey, sir, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

I thought I nodded but apparently whoever asked me those questions didn't notice because she kept asking them & began to very gently shake my shoulder.

Very slowly, I opened my eyes only to shut them immediately since the light was shining right in my face & blinding me.

"Get the light out of his face"

The light moved & I opened my eyes again, blinking a few times to focus on the four faces surrounding me, looking down on me with expressions ranging from curiosity to concern.

"Hey, man. Betcha didn't think you'd live to see people again, eh?" a guy to my right said, with a tone of voice that implied he was joking. A couple of the surrounding faces frowned at him & he shrugged.

"Do you know where you are?" a woman asked. She had soft brown eyes & a gentle smile. I could imagine her being a nurse.

"Well hell Sango you act like he's too dumb to read the sign that said, 'Tokyo, 15 miles'. Geez, give him some credit" the guy that had previously spoken scoffed, earning a glare from this Sango.

"Chill" a woman who was probably about the same age as Sango said, "His senses are probably over-loaded already & bickering won't help him"

The only person who hadn't spoken yet, a woman with seductive eyes & devilish yet gorgeous features, shifted her weight to the other foot. "I've got some things to take care of. See you guys tomorrow"

Calls of, "See ya, Kagura", "Bye, Kagura", & "Later, gator" (the latter stated by the first guy that spoke to me) followed the gorgeous vixen out & I realized I had yet to say anything. Honestly, I didn't trust my voice. I can't recall the last time I used my voice but I could be quite sure it'd be hoarse & sounding like I was in great need of a cough to clear my throat.

"Hey my name is Sango & these here are my friends" said the pretty woman. gesturing to the other people, "That's Kagome (here she indicated the other woman that I first noticed as being about the same age as Sango but now realized, since she'd move a little into the shadows, that she looked younger than Sango), Miroku (she pointed to the guy, who waved) & the lady that just left was Kagura"

My eyes drifted to each face before falling as my thoughts began to wander. Where exactly was I? Had these people rescued me from the desert? & had they seen Inuyasha? He had to come over this way because going the other way wasn't an option, considering that was the way we'd come-

"& what is your name?" Sango asked, leaning down so that her face was level with mine.

My breath came out in a rush through my nose as I turned my head. There were too many things going through my head to be worried about introducing myself. I sat up slowly, closing my eyes & grimacing when I felt the room spin. I heard all three of the humans take a step towards me, their hands reaching to help but really just fluttering around aimlessly.

"You should take it easy" the girl Kagome said, "I'm pretty sure you'll tire easily after sleeping for five days"

I started & looked at Kagome with a raised eyebrow while she blushed under my gaze. Five days? How the hell could I have slept that long? Does that mean that Inuyasha's been out there, God knows where, by himself, defending himself for five days?

My feet reacted quicker than my brain & I launched myself for a door to my right only to crumple to the floor like a rag doll. Ugh. That's right. Five days of not walking...

Sango tried to help me up but I waved her away, pulling myself up into a chair & burying my face into my hands. I felt so guilty for sleeping the days away while Inuuyasha was still out there. What if he was hurt & he needed help? What if he was in pain & calling for me &-

"Hey...hey it's alright. We won't harm you" Kagome said, placing her hand on my shoulder.

I raise my face slowly & give her a, "You've got to be fucking kidding me" look. Them, harm me? That was the least of my worries. I was more worried about where my next meal was coming from. A strong human might be able to turn my skin red but I'd hardly consider that "harming" me.

"You know, I bet you're hungry" Sango chirped, clapping her hands, "Kagome, let's go check on that goose & get dinner together"

Kagome nodded & both women left. When they opened the door, I got a slight glance of a metallic hallway, as if the walls were made out of metal. I sighed again, feeling overwhelmed. I had no idea who these people were, where I was, where _Inuyasha was & I had no idea where to start looking for him._

_A movement came from the corner of my eyes & I looked to find Miroku sitting himself on the bed I was just on not too long ago. I had actually forgotten he was in the room._

_"We don't bite, you know" he started, smirking, "I understand you're probably really confused right now & probably don't know what you're going to do next but we'll take care of you"_

_I narrowed my eyes but said nothing._

_He cleared his throat awkwardly before rambling on. "You know, even for a demon, it's admirable that you survived out there in that desert that long. I mean if the weather, dehydration, & starvation doesn't get to you, a zombie will"_

_He looked away & stared aimlessly at the floor. "My father was one of the original zombies. To be honest, he was too far gone for any cure but me & my mom saved up money anyway & got the injection. We'd hoped he'd get better but...I left for work one day & when I came back to check on them there was blood splattered all over the walls...all on the carpet...& even though I wanted to run I had to make sure my parents were ok...& I found my dad chewing on my mom's intestines in the kitchen & I..."_

_Cold dread had seeped into my blood stream & I felt the need to bolt out of the room but the horrid fascination kept me planted. I've tried my hardest not to think about what me & Inuyasha left back home. I tried to treat this has a sort of extented vacation. The thought of my parents being...monsters...cannibalistic monsters, at that...it would've affected Inuyasha as well had I'd let myself feel the regret, the anguish, the guilt & as his elder now I had to make sure I kept him as happy as I could. But Miroku's story brought back images of that night we found them & it made me grimace._

_Miroku laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, man. Sometimes it just feels a bit better talking about it. So where'd you come from?"_

_I shook my head slowly, looking towards the door._

_"Oh, I see. You don't wanna talk about it. That's ok, I'm in no rush. I don't want to push you"_

_It wasn't necessarily that I didn't want to talk about it; I didn't but for the most part I just simply didn't feel like talking. There was so much to do...such an infinite amount of time to do it in but where to start...where to start...?_

_Miroku sighed. "Not the talkative type, are you?"_

_I only give him a level stare._

_"Well, that's ok. The girls will talk so much, you wouldn't be able to get anything in anyway" he said, chuckling._

_I wanted to smile but my facial muscles refused to respond._

_He sighed again, looking at the floor & muttering under his breath before finally shaking his head slightly & laying back on the bed. "Well, I don't like the silence so if you won't talk then I shall. Hmm, let's see..."_

_Even thought my face was expressionless at the moment I could feel it fall. What's wrong with silence?_

_"Well before the world went to shit, I was a salesperson. Not like the kind in the mall, that follow you & beg you to try out their product or anything. I was a telemarketer so of course I hated my job. Just working in a small cubicle, calling people all day, being cursed out half the time or just hung up on the other half & my boss was an ass. I had some pretty cool co-workers though. Sango was one of them. My co-workers kept me from going insane & losing my mind on my boss or a customer. I hate to say it but I got a lot of satisfaction out of watching a zombie rip my boss to peices for all the shit he put me through"_

_Miroku laughed but I could see him rub his forehead in a frustrated-type manner. I wasn't sure if that was a sign that the silence frustrated him, he felt guilty for taking pleasure in watching someone die a horrible death or something else I didn't know about. Either way I didn't respond, just simply sat there & listened._

_"They just came out of nowhere. Me & Sango were in the breakroom, having lunch when all of a sudden one of our other co-workers came in, all out of breath & bleeding profusely. We tried to help him but he just shook his head, waving at the door & then we heard screaming. Sango looked out the door & gasped, telling me we needed to get out of here. So I left the guy on the floor since he was very close to dying & we ran out of the emergency exit. I dialed 911 but no one picked up. I kept calling & kept calling-"_

_At that precise moment Sango & Kagome came back & it caused Miroku to jump & my head to snap towards them._

_"You aren't in here telling scary stories, are you Miroku?" Sango asked, setting down two aluminim containers, one holding something that looked like scrambled eggs & the other holding a goose._

_"N-no, just m-making conversation" Miroku stuttered. I could hear his heart racing all the way over from where I was sitting._

_Kagome sat down a jug of water, a stack of paper plates, some paper cups & a plate of biscuits. "Hope you guys brought your appetite!"_

_I sat where I was while they got their food, watching as they put the food in their mouth & grimaced yet continued eating._

_"I hate powdered eggs" Sango sighed._

_"At least the goose covers up that dusty after taste" Kagome muttered, moving the eggs to the side of her plate._

_"Hey man if you want some feel free to get anything you'd like" Miroku directed towards me indicating the food with his spork._

_I shook my head though I eyed the water. I didn't want to drink or eat knowing its quite possible that Inuyasha hasn't had anything to drink or eat in a while. _

_Running my claw through my hair I realized my hair felt clean. I examined the strands & frowned slightly, wondering if they'd stripped me naked & washed me. I sure felt clean all over..._

_"You have really pretty hair, ya know" Kagome said, "It's really thick so it was hard getting all the shampoo out of it but it's beautiful"_

_I glanced at her before looking at the door again, hiding my blush. _

_"You like having your hair washed huh?" Sango said, smirking at me, "You were purring the whole time I washed it"_

_They chuckled good naturedly as my blush raged; I could even feel my ears burning. It made me think about the times when a girlfriend & I would be reclined back onto the couch & she'd start playing with my hair. I would always try not to purr but it just felt so good, I would fall into a semi-conscious state, half asleep, half awake._

_"Just out of curiosity, do the drapes match the carpet?" Miroku asked innocently before raising his hands in a surrendering gesture, "No homo"_

_I sent him a murderous glare as the women gasped at him._

_"Miroku! Why would you ask such a thing?" Sango exclaimed, fighting a smile._

_"That was really homo, especially when you said no homo" Kagome commented._

_"I just asked what you two were thinking!" Miroku protested._

_"I was so not thinking that" Kagome exclaimed, rolling her eyes._

_I couldn't believe a guy would ask me something like that, much less a man I didn't even know! Even my closest friends didn't ask me personal questions like that. It was pretty rude...though I have to admit kind of funny._

_"I was just trying to get you to talk, sorry" Miroku muttered, pushing his scrambled eggs around on his plate._

_There was a knock at the door & then a young red-headed boy stuck his head in the room. "The food line is open" he said, looking at Miroku, Kagome & Sango before giving me a wary glance._

_"Alright Shippo, thanks" Kagome said, throwing her plate away._

_As the boy, Shippo, left, the three humans straightened up the room & washed their hands somewhere right outside the door in the hallway._

_"They give out food everyday at two in the afternoon so we're going to go get some" Miroku explained, "Would you like to come?"_

_I stood, stretching, figuring I might as well explore this city. I needed to be familiar with these surroundings. _


	3. Chapter 3

The hallway really was metal. Everything was, from the sink right outside the room we were in (I came to find out later that we had been in Miroku's room), to the floor & the cieling. I had come to the conclusion that maybe this building had once been a government building since all government official buildings were made out of metal to protect it against terrorist attacks.

We went down several long corridors before finally coming outside where the clouds covered the sun & the wind was biting & cold.

Miroku offered me his jacket but I shook my head, not wanting to smell like him, not to mention I didn't mind the cold that much.

As we walked down the narrow street, blending in with hundreds of other people walking in the same direction as we were, Sango fell back & began walking beside me.

"You're really not big on talking are you?" she asked.

I shook my head slowly.

"I understand. A lot of people here are mutes because of the things they've seen before they arrived here-"

I supressed a sigh & (barely) refrained from rolling my eyes as I felt another story coming.

She chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't bore you with any details. I just don't want you to think you're alone & no one understands you here. We don't try to understand anyone, we just help them where we can & try o survive. We can't live here forever or wait until this outbreak dies out. I personally don't think it'll ever die out"

I'd never thought of this apocalyspe lasting until the day I die. It was something so horrible my heart felt like it tumbled out of my chest & into my stomach & I clenched my jaw. How long would it be until I found Inuyasha? Would he still be himself or...one of them?

Sango & I stepped into a fairly long line of people & were handed little china bowls & mismatched sets of forks & spoons. Out of habit, I inspect the dishes closely to make sure they were clean, smiling to myself when I remembered how much mother used to nag when we didn't wash off a utensil before plunging it in the food of our choice. Inuyasha had taken to not eating with her around because he always forgot to wash it off. Being the oldest I had to deal with it longer so I grew accustomed to it.

Something tickled my nose & I absently wiped at it, my hand drawing back wet. Thinking I had a nosebleed I glanced at my palm to find clear liquid running down my wrist. Was this a tear? I wiped my face quickly. I hadn't realized until now that I missed my family deeply. I don't let it be known but I would consider myself a mother's boy only because my mother was like my best friend & I felt so close to her. I now felt the urge to actually cry but it'd have to wait until later.

_'Stop it, now. Crying is for weaklings'_

When we got to the front of the line they were serving what looked like some sort of mash up of beans, something that looked like beef but I wasn't sure, corn, green beans, onions & bell pepper. I set the bowl down with the utensils in it & walked away. I would starve before I eat that.

Now that I was out of line I realized I had no idea where to go. I'd lost sight of Miroku & Kagome after they recieved their food & Sango was still currently getting that muk shoveled into her bowl. How disgusting. I'd hunt on my own before I eat that mess.

"You're the demon they found in the desert, eh?"

I turned to find a guy a little shorter than me with white hair & lavender colored eyes. I nodded.

"Awesome. My name is Hakudoshi & I'll be your apartment guide"

He held his hand out for me to shake but I didn't notice it until he retracted it.

"Follow me"

I glanced around to see if I could find Sango, Miroku or Kagome but they were no where in sight. I shrugged one shoulder before following Hakudoshi into a narrow ally that opened up into a huge apartment complex. I cringed. I never did like apartments.

"You will be in room 301, top floor in the last building to the right. The previous residents decided they were better of living out _there_ & who are we to deny someone of their independance?" Hakudoshi said in a bored tone, scribbling something down on a sheet of paper that was attatched to a clipboard, "If you have any problems you call me. Here is my number & my apartment room. Food should already be stocked. When you run out you come to me & I will get you more. Do you have any clothes besides what you have on?"

I shook my head.

"Not the talking type, eh?" he muttered before continuing, "Fine. I'll have clothes delivered to you as soon as possible along with towels, wash clothes, dishes & whatnot. Have you found a source of income yet?"

I shook my head again.

"Tsk. Well it would behoove you to find one as soon as possible. First month's rent is due in three weeks & it'll be $439, not including utilities. If you haven't found a job by then you will be given a tent, one pot, one bowl, a spoon, a fork & a bar of soap & sent to live in West End. Don't think you'd enjoy that much, considering your looks..."

I frowned. I was starting to not care for this man, not to mention I was weary & wanted to be alone.

"Your lights, gas & water will be turned on in 30 minutes. As I said, if you need anything let me know"

& without another word, much less a glance Hakudoshi walked off as if he was very proud of himself. I can see he & I having some heated words in the not so far future.

.

..

...

My apartment was...well, non-descript. From the front door you stepped into the living room, a hallway that led into the 2 bedrooms & bathroom was off to the right, to the left was a little kitchen & straight-ahead was an empty space that could be used as a dining area. It's what I sort of expected from a gated city. They wanted order, blandness.

I spent most of the day in my living room area, trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to start looking for Inuyasha. A few times I was interrupted by the assistant owner, Kanna, who was Hakudoshi's wife (who the hell would marry that prick?) when she brought me my necessary things. After she brought me some fresh bread, powdered eggs (how can powered eggs be fresh, I'll never know) & something that looked like apple juice, Hakudoshi stopped by with a large device that looked like a complexed calculator.

"Assuming you've never lived in a gated city, with that comes the assumption you have not been branded"

I raised my eyebrows. I dare this little man to burn a symbol on my ass. I will punt him like a damn football.

Hakudoshi sighed irritably. "You country people I swear...ok look this is called a trondommeter [AN: Tron-dom-meter]. This will give you a brand which you need because if you don't have a brand you don't get paid & if you don't get paid you get kicked out of this apartment & even in West End you need it so eventually you'd end up outside of the gates-"

I rolled my eyes & shifted my weight, exhaling heavily through my nose to signal that it'd be really nice if he's hurry up so he could get out of my face.

"Look, whatever. Just hold your wrist out"

I held my hand out, palm down but he flipped it over irritably & placed the top of the trondommeter on my wrist. There was a high pitch squeal that made me wince in pain & then I felt a prickling sensation under my skin before Hakudoshi took the device away & I had something that looked exactly like a barcode on my wrist.

"Have a nice day" Hakudoshi said boredly & turned & left.

I slammed the door after him, my eyes still on my wrist. Was that what I was now reduced to, just an _object _they barcoded to keep tabs on me? Any idiot could see that there was more to this than just my only way of pay. They did this to make sure I wasn't one of _them_. It had to be something that detected whatever _they _had in their system.

I sat back in my spot on the living room floor, staring out the window. Was Inuyasha now branded in some faraway gated city? Was he safe? I refuse to believe otherwise but that didn't make it true. Nor did it make it any easier to bear.

.

..

...

I woke with a start, not knowing where I was at first. I blinked a few times & tried to get my bearings while I wondered what woke me up. Then there was more knocking, a mumbling of voices outside my door.

"Think he's even here?"

"Well I mean we'll find out but we have to check & make sure first"

Miroku & Sango. I sighed & stood from my not so comfortable place on the floor where I ended up falling asleep & opened the door. Sango & Kagome beamed at me, Miroku gave me a smile & a nod while the woman named Kagura simply blinked at me.

"Hey, good morning!" Kagome chirped, "We brought you some food in case you might be hungry"

I hated mornings. Father used to wake me at every sunrise for training & though I did that for fifteen years I never got used to it. At least now I didn't drool when I slep & though I was sure my hair could be more presentable, overall I don't look half as crappy as I feel in the morning.

I nodded & stepped aside to let them in. Kagome & Sango exclaimed how neat I kept the place while Miroku made himself comfortable on the couch & Kagura stood in front of the window, her hands clasped in front of her as she stared around warily.

"You're not like most guys. Everything is just so tidy" Kagome said as she sat.

Sango placed their foil-covered dishes in the refridergator before she came & sat as well. "Yeah, I mean even I messed up my place a bit when I first got it"

"Oh please, you call leaving some of your drawers open & boxes stacked in the corner because you didn't feel like unpacking yet messed up?" Miroku question, chuckling.

"Well I like order!"

"She makes her bed before she gets up to piss" Kagome mock-whispered & the three of them laughed.

"Remember when she threw that graduation party at her house & was in a corner crying because no one would throw their plastic cups away?" Miroku laughed

"Oh my God she called me on the phone that night, crying about how she couldn't get the beer stain out of her carpet" Kagome squealed.

"It was a pretty large beer stain! & it was where I liked to do my yoga!" Sango protested but laughed good-naturedly.

I looked over at Kagura, noticing she had yet to say a word & she simply blinked at me, her beautiful magenta eyes full of open curiosity. Never one to back down out of a staring contest I narrowed my eyes slightly, wondering why she kept staring at me. One side of her lips tilted up into a smirk but other than that & blinking every minute or so there was no movement. It wasn't until she looked away for a split second that I noticed the other three were quiet & staring at us.

"Kagura's a really quiet person" Miroku offered, "She's nice...when she wants to be anyway"

Kagura glared at him for a moment before turning her eyes back to me.

"Don't listen to him, Kagura's cool. She just only speaks when she feels is necessary" Sango spoke up

The beautiful demoness nodded in confirmation at this.

I actually felt the urge to say something to her. I felt the muscles in my throat flex as it prepared itself for my voice & my tongue twitched to form the words but I actually had nothing to say. Not right now anyway. & for some reason I didn't want to say anything around Miroku, Sango or Kagome.

I slowly leaned back on the couch, bringing my right knee up to rest on top of my left knee, my eyes traveling up & down Kagura's body. I would admit, she had the kind of body that I'd love to get my hands on, press her to me & do dirty things to her but there was more to it than that. She held herself with such confidence, grace, dignity, a man couldn't help but be attracted to her. I wondered what Inuyasha would think of her; I knew he'd say something crude like he'd tap that.

I felt my face stretch into a sudden smile & the way Kagura's eyes lit up, eyebrows up near her bangs, made me feel like continuing to smile but then there were the other people in the room-

"Oh my!" Sango exclaimed & reached over to playfully slap my knee, "You have such a gorgeous smile. You should do it more often"

"Though I think that was meant exclusively for Kagura herself" I heard jealousy laced in Kagome's words but she didn't seem angry.

"Hey if you're going to smile like that with all the ladies you'll take them from me!" Miroku protested & was hit by some of the pillows that matched the couch.

"Do you find something amusing?" Kagura asked in a husky voice, a smirk gradually taking over her lips.

I chuckled once. Kagura was undeniably beautiful but did she think I was interested in her?

"Maybe he just likes the way you look" Miroku said with a shrug, "You are really sexy"

"Thank you" she replied though she kept her eyes on mine.

I smelled a very faint wiff of her pandormones, the demon equivalent of pheromones but sweeter & heavier. I raised an eyebrow at her & she raised hers in return. What was this, a test? The last thing I was concerned about now was being involved in a relationship.

"Should we leave you guys alone or...?" Kagome trailed off uncertainly.

"No" Kagura said bluntly, shifting, "It's fine. Let's go"

"But Kagura-" Sango started.

Kagura walked out the door without another glance or word. For some reason it made me feel the slighest bit of smugness that she seemed to leave annoyed.

"Um...well, uh we'll see you around...ummm what's your name?" Miroku said, extending a hand.

I looked at his hand before looking at him. What was it that made me want to not speak around them? The advantage of having an air of mystery about me? That maybe staying quiet will make me more interesting? Either way I could be a jerk but I wasn't completely rude.

"Sesshomaru" I said quietly, shaking his hand firmly.

I heard the women gasp quietly & almost immediately detected the scent of pheromones in the air. I mentally rolled my eyes. Maybe I should've kept my mouth shut.

"Well, then Sesshomaru, we'll see you around" Miroku said, smiling before walking out the door, the whispering & giggling Sango & Kagome following after him, sneaking peeks at me & blushing.

What is it with women? If I sang the Star Spangled Banner they'd throw their panties at me.

.

..

...

This made it a week I'd been here & I was still as clueless as how to find Inuyasha as I was the day I woke up here. I thought I had a few leads: people saying they saw someone just like me somewhere recently, only to find out that person was too old, too young or too...feminine to be Inuyasha & I even heard some men discussing a, "puppy ear'ed boy" causing trouble in the near-by bar but when I went to said bar & asked the bartender had he seen a puppy ear'ed young man of about six feet in height with golden eyes he shook his head.

_'Inuyasha...where are you? Are you here in this gated city or still out there, in danger?'_

I spent the following weeks getting to know my environment. The city was large but you could only walk around it for so long until you grew bored of it. Sometimes I found myself wishing I could leave the gates, just for a little while but I had a feeling that if I left these gated walls I wouldn't be let back in.

When I finally got a job, working as a fireman (apparently there were frequent fires around the city), I could afford to go out in the city, roaming the bars, searching the streets, trying to pick up any hint of Inuyasha. Every once in a while Miroku or Sango would tag along, occassionally trailed by Kagura who would just give me these smoldering stares as if she was trying to read my mind.

One night, Miroku, Sango, Kagura & Kagome & I were at the bar. They were eating while I just settled for a margarita. I stirred my drink absentmindedly, only half listening to the conversation & ignoring Kagura's staring. One day I'd have to ask her what her problem was. It wasn't like she was _glaring _exactly. More like she was just trying to seduce me.

"Oh yeah & we got a new guy at work today" Miroku said, popping a French fry into his mouth, "He's cool"

"You should invite him out with us next time" Kagome said.

Everyone pretty much knew that Kagome was immediately interested in a new guy hanging out with us just in case he was handsome & date-able. Miroku just nodded & sipped his beer.

"How is work, by the way? I hear they have raised your protocols" Sango commented.

The young man nodded again. "Yeah. The walls need to be oiled again & the sky-seeker spotted a horde out in the distance so we're being pressured to reinforce the whole wall in preperation"

The whole table fell silent as tension hung in the air. A horde? Was it like the horde Inuyasha & I saw that day on the highway? Was it more than that or less? They had to know they were approaching a gated city & they'd get aggressive in order to feed. That thought had my stomach sinking.

"You...don't seem worried" Kagome said in a small voice

Miroku shrugged one shoulder, finishing his beer. "I mean, it's going to take them at least five days to get here & the wall would've been long finished by then. It's not like I don't feel a sense of anticipation but nah, I'm not nervou-"

"What the fuck?"

While Miroku had been talking I'd looked up at one of the bar's many flat screen TV's hanging from the ceiling. I stood up from the booth & went to the closest one, ignoring the others' calling out to me, impatiently waving at the bartender to turn the volume up.

"...Yesterday afternoon. Police are looking for a young man, believed to be a hanyou of about six feet in height with silver hair & ears on the top of his head. If you have any information please contact the local police" the news reporter said, "We will show you the video once again"

By this time I noticed I was breathing hard & my claws were digging into the bar.

_'Please don't be...please, please, don't be...'_

A blurry video popped up of a slender man in a black hoodie, the hood pulled over his face & dark sunglasses on, his arm stretched towards the cashier behind the counter of what looked like a gas station. They exchanged a few words, the man in the hoodie gesturing aggressively until the cashier pulled out a shotgun & the man jerked back in surprise, causing his hood to fall & his hair & ears to be revealed.

_'No, please don't be him...it can't be...'_

As the cashier shot, the man ducked, barely dodging in time but his sunglasses were shattered, revealing his face.

& then Inuyasha lashed out, decapitating the cashier before sprinting out of the door.

_'Inuyasha, you idiot!'_


	4. Chapter 4

Alright so the good news: Inuyasha was in the city. The bad news: he was being chased after the police. The good news surprisingly out-weighed the bad though I didn't feel the need to celebrate. I had to find that brat & quickly.

I turned from the Tv quickly & grabbed my coat. "I have to go" I growled in a rush

"Wait, wait, where are you going-"

"Is everything ok-"

"Are you going to finish that margari-"

I shot them all a glance, noting Kagura's suspicious glare & jogged out of there. Why the hell would Inuyasha try to rob a store, assuming he was robbing it? (Personally I can't think of any other explaination for that tape). Was he desperately hungry but didn't have the money to buy food? That thought left me breathless & a heavy ache in my chest. He just wanted food...that's it.

I had no idea where he could be & I didn't know where to start. But I knew he was in the city & so I spent the next seven hours wandering the streets, searching the alley-ways, searching for him or any clue as to where he could be. When the sun began to rise over the dewy horizon, I collasped behind a restaurant & rested my face in my hands. I was cold, exhausted, hungry & a feeling I couldn't quite put my finger on. It made sense just to go home & search again later tonight. There wasn't any use in searching when I was barely awake.

I walked home slowly. I wish I could say I was planning & plotting all the way there but my mind was blank & whatever thought came to mind was fuzzy, like looking at a streetlight through a dirty, wet window. I ambled through the apartment complex & wearily climbed the stairs to my apartment door, noticing a dirty lump at the end of the hallway. As it shifted I realized it was a person. I sighed & walked up to it.

"Look this is not a place you want to be sleepin-"

"Go away" came the gruff snarl.

I frowned. "You should go find somewhere else to slee-"

The person flung the dirty rags away & snarled up at me, "I said go _awa_-...oh my God"

I was brought to my knees as I gazed upon Inuyasha's face. It was so drawn, dirty, scratched up...I barely recognized him. His left ear had a chunk of meat missing, a long scar adorned his cheek & he looked so hungry.

Tears began to well in his eyes & he whimpered. I snatched him up into a hug quicker than even I could follow. I held him to my chest, wishing I could transfer what little energy I had to comfort him, heal him, feed him...

"Oh Yasha..." I whispered.

He began to sob. "Sessh, what h-happened? I was looking & l-l-lookin' & I was so scared something had happened to y-y-you-"

I shushed him & stroked his hair, not caring that it was caked with blood. I was just happy it wasn't his.

.

..

...

I watched Inuyasha as he stuffed his mouth with the lasagne I had just finished making not too long ago, sipping my wine slowly. I hated how his eyes darted around like that zombie on the highway that ate my intended dinner that seemed so long ago, like he was afraid someone was going to take his food from him. I hated how it seemed he forgot to eat with a fork & grabbed the lasagne in his claws, stuffing as much as he could into his mouth, shoulders haunched forward. It was like he was a beast now.

Once he was finished he relaxed into a sitting position, legs crossed in an Indian position. "So...whatcha been up to?" he asked nonchalantly.

I put my wine glass down & stared at him warily. "What happened to you? Why did you leave the car?"

Inuyasha sighed, his eyes falling to the floor. "I just started panicking...I-I...I didn't know where you were & I started to worry...so I got out to look for you..."

"You should've just stayed right there! I was coming back!"

"Hey asshole I'm sorry I didn't get your telepathic messege telling me to stay put!"

I released an exasperated sigh through my nose, rubbing my forehead. "It was common sense, Yasha"

"Common sense told me to come look for your ass to see if you were alright!"

"I was worried sick about you!" I snapped, "I come back to see blood on the windshield & the door open. How the fuck you think I felt? You think I was proud of leaving you? You think I didn't want to save you? I saved your brattish ass by running away & luring the zombies to me so that you could get to safety, like, I don't know, the top of the fucking truck trailer & then we could leave when I returned!"

Inuyasha crossed his arms in a huff & scowled down at the floor. Despite my anger I couldn't help but smirk at his behavior. He knew I was right.

"I'm just glad you're alright" I say softly, standing & walking to the kitchen.

I began washing the dishes by hand even though I had a perfectly capable dishwasher. I needed to think. I hadn't once thought about having a wanted person in my own house since I was at the bar last night & now that I had time to kill my thoughts rushed by like lights outside a speeding car. I was assuming since he was on the news, it was serious enough that they'd come looking for him & I'd be considered an accomplice. What do they do to suspects found guilty nowadays? Last criminal I heard of being found guilty they left him outside the gates & let the horde have him. Would that be Inuyasha's fate too? To be thrown to the zombies? It went without saying that I couldn't allow that to happen.

Inuyasha slowly came into my peripheral vision & he leaned against the doorway. He was silent for a moment, shifting his weight continuously. "Dinner was good. Thanks"

I nodded silently.

"I went a long time without eating" he whispered after a long silence, "Sometimes I got lucky & found a dead deer or something but for the most part-" he shrugged, "I felt like a scavenger out there. I was so scared, Sessh. I tried to follow your scent but all I could smell was rotting corpses & myself cause, let's face it, I stink"

I nodded again, more enthusiastically but smirking.

He chuckled. "On that note I'm gunna take a shower. Mind if I borrow some of your clothes?"

"Help yourself" I murmured.

He stared at me for a moment before pushing off the doorway & walking to the other side of the apartment where my bedroom & bathroom were located. I would need to get him some clothes soon. & I'd need more food. & the cost of my utilities will go up. I might want to consider taking up another job. That thought made me feel like another two ton burden was placed on my shoulders. & what if they had inspections like our old landlord use to do once a month & they found Inuyasha?

I put the plate I was washing back into the soapy water & placed my hands on the rim of the sink, leaning heavily on it. We couldn't stay here, not for long. But where else could we go? There had to be another gated city we could escape to, right? We could grab some weapons & defend ourselves against the zombies & we might even find a car that wasn't an official (the only people who got cars were people who needed one for their job, for example, like mine) & hopefully the nearest gated city didn't know about Inuyasha's little stunt.

I finished the dishes & sat in the living room, aimlessly flipping through the channels. Inuyasha finished his shower & curled up under my arm like he used to, snoring so loud I didn't bother turning the volume up. I found it hard to be angry at him when he was like this. It was difficult to believe how I wanted to shake him until his neck broke when I saw that footage on the news. He was pretty much like my son now; it was my duty to take of him now & not be the big brother he's known me to be all his life.

Suddenly there was knocking at the door & my heart stopped. Whoever it was they could not know about Inuyasha. As the knocking continued, I gingerly picked Inuyasha up & took him to my bedroom, lying him on my bed. He was so much lighter than I remembered but I guess that's because he went so long without eating like a pig. I pulled the blankets over his head & walked quickly to the door before the fourth knock. Kagura looked at me expectantly.

"What took you so long to answer?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I think I'm entitled to answer my door whenever I'd like, especially since I pay the bills here"

Her eyes registered rage before it calmed into a restrained sort of anger. "Do you have anything planned for the day?"

I forced my mind not to wander to Inuyasha. "No"

"Good. Come have a few drinks with me"

When I started worrying about Inuyasha, I had to remind myself that he was an adult now; I didn't need to remind him not to open the door for strangers & all of that. I didn't really want to leave him though, not when we had just been reunited & he was now on the run.

"Maybe another time, Kagura" I said gently

She tilted her head. "I thought you said you didn't have any plans for tonight"

"I don't. But that doesn't mean I want to go out either"

Her magenta eyes bore into mine before she let out a sigh that sounded almost like a growl. "Fine"

She turned on her heel & walked away, her arms swinging angrily, heels clicking in an annoying cadence.

"You could've ditched me for your girlfriend. I wouldn't have been mad" Inuyasha said sleepily, rubbing his eyes before collasping on the couch.

I scoffed. "That was not my girlfriend. & why do you insist on sleeping on the couch when there's a perfectly fine bed in there?"

"Your bed smells like Dad" Inuyasha mumbled, curling into a ball.

I never thought about that. The thought of our parents now left an ache in my chest. How were they now?

I went over & gently ruffled his hair, falling into my favorite chair. "I guess it's just in my aura"

There was a silence before he asked, "That chick was pretty cute. You should go out with her"

"Not interested" I said too quickly.

He laughed. "What? She's hot man. You're lame if you don't think so"

"I didn't say she wasn't attractive, I just said I'm not interested"

"Oh, she must be a bitch?"

I mulled that over for a moment. "Not really. Just...really quiet & likes to stare at me kind of chick"

"Oh hell no, you hurt her feelings & she'll castrate you & boil your balls then force you to watch her eat them"

I frowned. "You are so vulgar"

"Well, hell, I'm just saying! What person in their right mind just stares at someone? I mean like is it one of those God-I-wanna-do-dirty-things-to-you-in-the-kitchen kind of stares or I-wonder-what-your-blood-would-taste-like-if-I-licked-it-off-your-dick kind of stares?"

I grimaced. "It's both, actually"

Inuyasha sat up, his furry ears swiveling. "I bet she'd be a good fuck man. One of those chicks that like to lick your butthole & enjoy golden showers, that freaky shit"

"I don't like my butt hole licked, thank you very much"

"I'm just saying, I bet she likes that kind of shi-wait, do you like giving golden showers?"

I threw him a murderous glare & he raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"I'm just asking, man, damn. Hell, if you don't want her I'll take her"

"Why, so she can lick your butthole?"

"Hey, fuck you, man!"

.

..

...

The next morning I ran a hand over Inuyasha's mass of hair before I left for work & prayed that he wouldn't get into any trouble while I was gone (though that was asking for too much).

I had lost track of time since the incident with my parents. I knew today was Thursday but I had no idea what the date was or even what month. I knew I got paid every other Tuesday; that was how I kept up with the days. But I bring that up because I didn't realize today was inspection day.

As soon as I walked in there was an air of tension & I immediately went into defense mode; my ears caught every sound, my eyes zeroed in on every movement, my claws were held at the ready. But when I walked into the breakroom & everyone was standing around, fidgeting nervously, I relaxed a bit.

"Inspection's today" one of my co-worker's murmured, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor.

That's it? These guys were acting like they had a loved one in the hospital & they were unsure as to whether they'd live or not. We always kept this place clean (minus the bathrooms, since some people thought it was funny to plug the toilets up with a roll of tissue) so there was really nothing to worry about there & most of us put things back where they should...that might be a problem. We worked with lazy people who felt it wasn't important to put things away before they left & God have mercy on them if they were caught but our fire chief didn't check often so there wasn't much to worry about...except when the inspecter came.

"Dude, we are so gunna get chewed out by the chief" a guy whispered to his buddy.

"I _told _you to put that damn ladder back but _no _you just _had _to rush home & be with your little girlfriend!" the friend bit back, frowning.

"If you'd seen the picture of her that she sent me you would've rushed home to her too!"

"Enough" the captain, Naraku, commanded in a low growl, "This is no time for bickering"

"What are we supposed to do, stand around & pray that the insection goes well so we don't have to run fifteen laps around the station?" Koga, the lieutenant, mumbled.

"Precisely" Naraku answered cooly.

At that moment the fire chief & the inspector walked into. The chief's face was always in a scowl so it was hard to tell if the inspection went well or not but the inspector's face registered disappointment.

"You all enjoy the rest of your afternoons" he said & left.

There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for the chief to speak but refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Get your PT gear on" the chief growled, "You'll be spending the next two hours busting your ass, exercising"

There was a collective sigh of disappointment & reluctance but we all ambled to the locker rooms, dressing in our grey shorts & grey t-shirts. We could hear some of the women continuing to moan & complain about having to do PT all because of some lazy jerk not wanting to do his or her job & some of the men were begining to get annoyed.

"Someone better tell those clucking hens to shut their trap before I cut their heads off" one of the men mumbled.

"Then how would they give you head?" Koga commented, earning a few laughs & high fives.

"I bet they're over there talking about how much they want to bang us" we heard one of the women say.

"Not like any of them are going to get it" the other replied & a few of the men made annoyed noises in the back of their throats.

"Well, except that new guy...what's his name, Sesshomaru?"

I froze as I felt all the mens' eyes turn to me & burn holes into my back.

"Oh my gawd I would rock his world"

"Girl he could rock mine!"

"He has the body of a God!"

"& the face of a supermodel"

With every compliment I felt my cheeks & ears grow hotter & the growing urge to sink my head in-between my shoulders. Sometimes it was a curse being so attractive.

"Koga's cute"

Koga puffed his chest out in pride as an arrogant smile graced his face.

"Sesshomaru looks better & isn't such an arrogant jerk though"

The wolf's chest deflated as he aimed a glare towards me. I shrugged, smirking.

"Stop standing around, listening to those airheads stroke your ego & act like you have something to do" Naraku growled & everyone slipped into their sneakers & jogged out to the open field where we did fifty push-ups, fifty sit-ups, two hundred jumping jacks then ran eight miles. I didn't have a particularly hard time doing all of that but I began to feel tired after six laps. It's been a while since my track & field days.

I was the first to finish so I was allowed to stand at parade rest until everyone was finished, taking sips from my water bottle when needed. The women had now taken to walking casually around the track, talking groups & gesturing as they gossiped, causing me to roll my eyes. Half the time we got punished & had to do more PT because of them.

"You're a hard worker"

I turned to see Naraku standing beside me, hands clasped behind his back. Had he been there the whole time?

"Thanks"

"I can tell by the way you hold your body that you were an athlete, yes?"

"Yeah I ran track & field & played some sports in high school"

He nodded to himself as if he answered a question in his head before glaring at the group of women walking, mumbling something about, "Lazy females that act like they don't have to work hard just because the world has gone to shit" under his breath. He stalked towards them, claws curled into fists.

"Pick it up, you lazy bums! The faster you get done, the faster you can get your asses to a more appropiate place to gossip so you can stop wasting my damn time!"

I smirked as the women gave him dirty looks & proceeded to walk a bit faster. Naraku's body tensed like he was getting ready to do his signature booming yell to call everyone into formation or to generally just chew us out but he seemed to deflate & he shook his head slightly before walking back over to where I was on the grass, standing off to my right.

"What is it that keeps you going?" he asked me quietly.

"Pardon?"

"Why do you bother to get up? Don't you ever feel like giving up?"

The questions didn't really surprise me, it was just the fact that _he _was asking them that put me into a slight state of shock. For him to be asking me this, it was very possible that he was feeling that way himself most, if not all, the time. Wow, so the cold spider wasn't motivated by yelling in our faces, screaming how imcompetent we were?

"Well, sir, I have a little brother I have to be strong for. I'm all he has & he's all I have"

The side of Naraku's mouth twitched & he nodded slightly again. "I see. That's very honorable of you. Your father must be proud"

I gritted my teeth against the warm moistness that threatened to come to my eyes. "Thank you sir. I'd like to think he would be too if he saw me now"

"Get your asses into formation!" Naraku's booming baritone of a voice carried out across the whole field & I was thankful to be distracted. The rest of the platoon gathered & stood at attention while Naraku fell into formation & the fire chief came strolling out of the building, his hands clasped behind his back.

"As you know...the inspection did not go as well as it could have" he started in a low voice, "Things were out of place...some things were not cleaned...& other things could've been neater. I expected much better out of you all but I won't stand here & waste my breath on lecturing you like you're all children. Do you understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" our voices shouted in unison.

"Will we do better next time?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Good. Get to work"

"Platoon dismissed!" Naraku shouted while the fire chief ambled back into the building, most likely back into his office.

As we fell out of formation & went inside to begin cleaning I happened to overhear two women talking quietly.

"-Heard his wife got turned the other day"

"What? _They _aren't in the walls are they?" the other one squeal breathlessly.

"No, no. When he came here she had been bitten already & then the transformation completed & they had to throw her outside the gates"

"Oh my gawd, that's awful. No wonder he's been yelling so much louder lately"

"Jakotsu said sometimes he can hear him crying at night"

"Naraku, crying? Yeah, whatever"

I felt my eyebrows draw together. His wife's transformation could've very well been the reason why he asked me how do I get the motivation to get up in the morning. It was hard enough losing my parents, I couldn't imagine the pain of losing a spouse.

I shuddered & walked faster to get them out of my hearing range but the whole time we cleaned & scrubbed & wiped & swept & dusted & straightened up, I kept thinking about Naraku & how he really finds it in him to get up in the mornings.

.

..

...

I wasn't surprised to come home & find Inuyasha sitting in front of the TV, eating a bowl of oatmeal, his feet up on the coffee table.

"Take your feet down" I said quietly, putting my things down & sitting heavily on the loveseat.

"Hey to you too" Inuyasha grumbled around a mouthful of food, laying his feet on the floor, "Guess you had a bad day, eh?"

"Not really. Just really tired"

"You save any kittens?"

"I cleaned the building until the bricks shined"

"Damn"

"Exactly"

"You should get your girlfriend to come over here & give you a blowjob"

"What? Ok, first of all, she's not my girlfriend. Second, I don't want a blowjob. & third, no one's coming over here, especially not her. You're running from the cops, remember?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Dude, you may think you don't need a blowjob but you do. You wouldn't _believe _how good a jizz would make you feel. I bet she'd like you to jizz on her face-"

"Cut it out"

"I'm serious! Look when I get stressed I just jack off & bam! I feel so much better"

I started to say something then I glared at him. "You better not have jacked off since you've been living here, especially not in my room..."

Inuyasha looked away, ears laying out from both sides of his head & I flung a pillow at his face.

"You sick little prick! You're going to handwash my sheets!"

"Ok, ok! Damn, it's not like I shat on them or something, it's just cum"

"I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it if I left my essence on your sheets"

Inuyasha shrugged, setting his bowl down. "Long as it isn't still wet"

I stared at him, my mouth open in horror & my eyes unbelieving.

"I have fucked up morals, I know, I know!' he shouted, balling his hands into fists.

I stood slowly & went to the kitchen the see what I could scrape up for dinner, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence. "Would you have considered that your dinner?"

"Nah I only jizzed like three times, not enough to satisfy m-"

"I wasn't talking about that you disgusting idiot!"

"Oh, oh, you meant food, my bad" I could almost see the embarassed way one of his ears would fall limply to the side, his whole face red, "Uh, yeah I'm good man. I don't want to eat you out of a house & home & all"

I sighed, closing the fridge that only contained some mayo, a few water bottles & a container of baking soda. "You already have"

"Dude you can still make a bologna sandwich with some noodles"

"There's no bread, no bologna & no noodles, Yasha"

"...Oh..."

I closed the fridge & sat back down in the living room, sighing in disgust. "We have to get out of here"

"& go where? There's this restaurant down the street a bit-"

"No, no, I mean we need to get out of this city. We have to leave soon"

Inuyasha tilted his head, giving me that look that used to make Mother cave in & give him anything he wanted. "Why?"

"For a number of reasons: one, you're a fugitive, two, we're going to starve at the rate that you eat, & three, because you're a fugitive & you're living with me & I know you're a fugitive which makes me an accomplice & that means if you get caught I get caught & then shit just goes downhill from there"

He looked down at the floor & considered that before saying anything, his torn right ear twitching. "What's the closest city?"

I sighed. "Urayasu"

Inuyasha nodded to himself, eyes glowing in excitment. "Ok, ok, that's only like 12 miles"

"But since it's so close who's to say they haven't heard about your little stunt at the gas station?"

His ears drooped when he came to that realization. "So where are we gunna go?"

"It should be a place where we might know someone; starting over from scratch again will just be a headache"

"Kikyo is in Chou"

"We are not going to be anywhere near your crazy ex-girlfriend"

"She wasn't crazy! Just...misunderstood"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever"

"There's Yura. She's in Musashino"

I grimaced & shook my head quickly.

"& her gay brother in Soka"

"Hell no"

Inuyasha burst out laughing. "Dude, he had the biggest crush on you. He used to go on & on about how he wanted to suck your di-"

"Yasha, focus!"

"Fine, fine. What do you suggest?"

"Father had a friend in Kawaguchi. Hosenki, I believe his name is"

"Think he still lives there?"

"We could check"

Inuyasha sighed & rolled his eyes. "I don't want to go on a wild goosechase"

"Well I don't either! But we need to plan it out so we're not wandering all over Japan. We don't have enough supply for that"

"Speaking of..."

The way Inuyasha trailed off made me realize what I had just said. We'd need to save up supplies like food & water before we left; there was no telling how long or soon it'd take to get to the next city & then there was no guarantee the nearest city was gated.

"Dude, it's gunna be a while before we can leave"

I leaned forward & rested my elbows on my knees, deep in thought. "We're going to have to find some kind of container to hold our water, save all of our food, which means you're to have to cut back...a lot-"

He groaned.

"& we need a car & preferably something to put all of our items in"

"Your neighbor has a car"

I looked at him sharply. "Say what?"

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder. "I saw the old biddy getting in it the other day. She keeps the key under the driver's seat"

"How do you know this? & why the hell would she keep the key in the car?"

"Cause I get nosy when I'm bored & I have no fucking idea, man"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What else have you been poking your nose into?"

His eyes went wide for a moment. "You got something to hide?"

"No"

"You answered too quickly"

"Inuyasha!"

"Why so damn serious? Geez dude"

I massaged my forehead & sighed. We didn't have time for arguing. We needed a plan, not necessarily foolproof but logical, but it was so hard when your little brother practically had ADHD.

_'It's going to be a long night...'_

_._

_.._

_..._

When we finally made detailed plans on how to get the car, where to go, when to go & how we were going to save food, it was three thirty in the morning. Inuyasha was now on the sofa, his long limbs thrown in every which direction, snoring. I had passed the state of sleepiness long ago, now I just felt like a zomb-...well...you know...I felt like I was barely alive.

I wanted to get up & go to my bedroom but my legs wouldn't cooperate with me & the next thing I knew the sun was warming the skin on my arm & I felt a strong urge to stretch. When I did my joints popped so much I sounded like bubble wrap. I grimaced as I popped my neck, making a mental note to make sure I take my ass to my comfortable bed next time. God knew I was too old to be sleeping on the couch like I was a teenager. & speaking of teenager, Inuyasha was still lounging on the sofa but he was staring at the cieling, hands folded on his stomach.

"You sleep like the dead" he said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" I've always hated how husky my voice sounded in the morning. I sounded like I was trying to seduce someone.

"You don't snore, you don't move...when I went to piss I had to check your pulse to see if you were alive"

"Aw do you really care about me that much?"

I meant it as a joke but a pained expression crossed his face. "You're all I have left..."

I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, I was just-"

"I know"

There was a comfortable silence before Inuyasha chuckled to himself. "I was thinking about Mom's waffles. She'd text me, telling me they were ready but I was already up & ready to eat. They were so awesome. & Dad...he'd always eat the most...hey, remember that time when he made waffles & they were burnt & me, you & Mom sat there & forced ourselves to eat it just so we wouldn't hurt his feelings?"

I chuckled. "I remember"

Inuyasha smiled to himself. "He was so proud of himself, chest all puffed out & shit. He burnt the waffles, the bacon, the eggs...it all tasted like cardboard"

He let out another laugh that was a little louder this time but it trailed off into a whimper.

"Yasha?"

Unshed tears shimmered on his long eyelashes as he gave me a pleading look. "Sessh, I miss them so much"

I got up & pulled him into my lap, letting him curl up & cry into my shirt as I rocked him slowly back & forth. I didn't feel it'd be appropiate to tell him that it was going to be ok & that things would get better & that it wouldn't always be this way. I couldn't lie to him like that. Maybe it _would get better...but it was very likely it would not._

_"I take back every bad thing I ever said about Dad & all the time I gave him shit & all the time I didn't spend with Mom when she was lonely cause Dad was away on business trips & I'm sorry I gave them such a hard time cause I was hard headed &-"_

_I continued rocking him, running my fingers through his hair but letting him vent. This was probably the first time he got to mourn since they were turned._

_"Sessh I love them so much. I'm so sorry. I love you too, even when I say I hate you. I'm so sorry..."_

_"I know, I know, little one. I love you too" I whispered, kissing the top of his head, "I know"_


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much guys for patiently waiting. I like to write ahead & I was having some writer's block so I had to wait it out a bit. I also wrote a new story, it's a Bleach story called Birthday Boy. Check it out whenever it takes me forever to update (which I'm sorry for making you guys wait so long for an update this chapter *bows*). I also started a new Bleach chapter story so I'll be a tad busy. I'll try my hardest not to let so many days go by between updates though. Enjoy! =]

.

..

...

...

When I wearily opened the front door after a particularly long & exhausting day, I raised my head to find Inuyasha triumphantly holding up a large gym bag & a big duffel bag, his ears twitching happily.

"Ta-da! Found them in the dumpster"

I locked the door & tossed my things onto the couch. "& it's enough to fit all of our food & water?"

"Yep! The water bottles can go in this duffel bag & the food can go in this one here but this one's still wet"

I raised an eyebrow as he lightly shook the gym bag. "Why is it wet?"

"Well I had to wash it out. Looked like there was barf at the bottom or something & it smelled like old pasta & pig guts left out in the sun for a couple of days"

I actually had to fight the bile that had begun to rise in my throat & hurriedly walked into the kitchen to get some water.

"Hey what about our clothes, what will we put them in?" Inuyasha asked from the living room.

I came back & sat in my chair. "I took two bags from the department but it's in my locker"

Inuyasha sighed & sat down himself, looking at me expectantly. "Not gunna lie Sessh, I'm kind of scared"

"You shouldn't be"

"But I mean what if we get caught? We'll be given to the zombies without a second's thought, man. I don't know if this is the right thing to do"

"Yasha, we can't stay here. You're bound to be caught sooner or later. & speaking of which, how in the hell did you leave this apartment without being caught? & I'm pretty sure you didn't lock the door behind you!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. All the nights I snuck out when Mom & Dad were sleeping, I'm practically a pro"

I glared at him & he shrugged. "The women were begging for me"

I rolled my eyes; most of the girls that flocked to him were rejected by me but I didn't want to say that out loud. "We need a set day to leave so that leaves less of a chance to be caught"

"I say next Tuesday after you get paid. You get your money, come here, help me carry some things to the car & then we're off"

I honestly couldn't argue with that, it sounded like a good idea. "Next Tuesday it is"

There were three knocks at the door & Inuyasha gathered the bags & jogged into the bedroom while I went & opened the door to reveal an annoyed looking Kagura.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Hey, nice to see you too. How have you been?"

"Cut the bullshit, Sesshomaru, _where _have you _been_? We haven't seen or heard from you in two weeks"

I leaned against the doorframe, sighing. "I got busy"

Her eyebrows raised & she crossed her arms. "I bet you have, big boy. Who's the lucky girl?"

"What? Who said there was a woman in my life?"

"Well _someone _is keeping you busy unless it's just you & your hand"

"I never said there was anyone in my life"

"Then what the hell has you so busy?"

"What's with this interrogation? Last time I checked my mom was a zombie & didn't give a shit what has me so fucking busy!"

Kagura lowered her eyebrows so that they furrowed right above her nose, her button lips turned down at the ends, but then she smirked, one eyebrow raising seductively. "You have balls. I like that"

Now it was my turn to cross my arms & frown. "Excuse me?"

"No man has ever had the audacity to try & put me in my place, if you will. They always found me intimidating & a frigid bitch"

"I find you annoying & bossy" I murmured, surprised when she let out a husky laugh which melted into a slightly embarassed face.

"Sorry...about your moth-"

I waved it off irritably. I didn't tell her to gain sympathy, it just slipped.

After an uncomfortable silence Kagura looked up at me sheepishly. "May I come in?"

I sighed & rolled my eyes but let her step in, closing the door behind her. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing" she responded, looking around, "You made us all wonder when you left so suddenly the other night at the bar"

_'The night I saw Inuyasha on TV...'. _"& you were the only one who cared enough to come & check up on me?"

"They are afraid of you" Kagura murmured, turning to me & brushing her bangs out of her face, "You refuse to open up & you don't realize how suspicious that makes you"

I frowned. "Had they ever considered that maybe I just don't have anything to say about myself?"

Before she could answer there was a heavy thump & a gasp with a swear laced in it & Kagura looked over her should towards the bedroom then looked back at me. "What was that?"

I mentally cursed Inuyasha out & wish he'd sit down somewhere & be quiet. "Clumsy neighbors"

"Right..."

I looked away from her smoldering glare, pretending I was cleaning my claws. Was she really here to check up on me? I really can't think of any other explaination but I think she had other intentions. She didn't know me well enough to be concerned with my well-being.

"You know..." she purred, looking me up & down slowly, "You have a really nice body..."

I felt my face grow uncomfortablly hot. _'Dear God...'_

I happened to glance up & Kagura's lips were on mine, warm & soft, one set of her claws twisting into my hair, the other on my forearm. My first instinct was to push her away but then I noticed for a "frigid bitch" she was...very warm...& smelled really good...like spicy, warm apples & honey-

I put my hands on her shoulders leaning back. "Kagura, what are you doi-"

"Just relax" she purred, slipping her hand under my shirt, "You look like you could really use a good lay"

"What the fu-"

She shushed me with another heated kiss, her claws lightly raking up & down my torso. I had to admit, it felt pretty good & she was doing a job of turning me on so I let her have her way. I wrapped one arm around her waist & used the other hand to cup her cheek, licking her bottom lip to signal I wanted entry. She complied after a few moments of convincing & I ran my tongue along the roof of her mouth, the insides of her cheeks & over her tongue. She tasted like spearmint. I never knew such a fragrance would be such a turn-on.

Kagura unbuttoned my shirt & then slowly pulled it off, lightly running her fingertips over my newly exposed skin & raising goosebumps on my arms. From there she took my hand & placed it on her breast, giving me a pleading sort of look but she didn't look submissive by any means. It was like she was _demanding_ me to fuck her.

_'So is this why she came over here...?'_

I lost that train of thought as she ran her hands up my chest & around my neck, pulling me down for another kiss & I automatically reached down & grabbed her ass. I hadn't actually meant to, my hands just kind of...went there & squeezed like they had a mind of their own. I felt her smiling through our kiss so I figured it was a good move.

I heard a shuffling noise & opened my eyes to see Inuyasha gaping at me, a lecherous grin on his face as he made a show of humping the air. I furrowed my eyebrows & pointing towards the bedroom but he just continued his humping & pretended to stroke himself which made one side of my mouth rise in disgust. Kagura stilled & pulled back, looking up at me with questioning eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice husky.

I looked down at her, noticing Inuyasha dive behind the couch in the corner of my eye. "Nothing"

She gave me another once over before giving me a sly smile & pulling me towards the couch where she laid me on top of her & began working on leaving a hickey on my neck. Had Inuyasha not been in the apartment, much less the room, I would've been moaning but I had to settle for soft grunts. I've always loved it when a woman open-mouth kissed my neck; it sent chills & heat down my spine, raised goosebumps on my arms & sent fire rushing through my veins & into my groin.

Her fingers eventually found their way to my pants & she began to quickly unbutton them, plunging her hand in when she succeeded.

"Oh...shit..." I half moaned, half whispered.

She began stroking me in a slow, almost languid way but it was driving me crazy. I felt the urge to rip her pants off & fuck her until she called me daddy but...no, if I thought about it I was going to get turned off then Kagura would think I needed Viagra or something-

My eyes flickered open & I happened to see Inuyasha peeking at me over the armrest of the couch, his eyes twinkling though I don't think I want to know why. I narrowed my eyes at him & mouthed, "Go away" but he only grinned mischievously.

"My, you're a big boy" Kagura purred throatily from under me, "Does it ever stop growing?"

From the restraint it took for Inuyasha to hold his laugh back I assumed my face was beet-red. How the hell do you reply to something like that? Or was that a rhetorical question? I'm going to pretend it was the latter & just shut her up with a kiss. This was why sex was usually quick for me: women talked to much & damn I hate blushing!

Kagura rolled her hips up to meet mine & I almost bit her tongue off trying to hold back the moan that bubbled up my throat. She moaned as she sucked my bottom lip which I found so sexy I felt like I was on fire & melting. It was weird because I didn't have feelings for this woman but she was enticing much more feelings from me than any of my past girlfriends.

I reached down & lightly ran my hand over her breasts, smirking when her nipples hardened, down her belly & into her pants, where I unbuttoned them with one hand & reached in, searching for that one thing that sent women into a sexual frenz-

"Oh my God yes" Kagura moaned, eyes rolling in the back of her head.

I smiled. Bingo.

I slowly rubbed her clitoris in a circular motion, busying my mouth by nibbling & sucking on her neck. Her back arched high & her breathy moans were becoming louder but I didn't mind. I rather enjoyed a woman to be vocal, as that was an indicator as to how well I was doing.

I inhaled sharply, her lovely scent filling my senses, when she began raking her claws up my back. My eyes fluttered closed in escasty. God that felt so good. I plunged my finger into her wet vagina, shivering in delight at how warm & wet she was & continued rubbing her clit with my thumb. Her hands became restless & fluttered from my hair to hers then proceeded to squeeze her breasts, pinching her nipples as her eyes rolled & she licked her lips.

_'Damn she was sexy...'_

"Oh my God...oh my God that feels so...mmmmm fuck Sesshomaru..."

When I flicked the finger that was inside her upwards her back arched higher & she let out a short, falsetto moan so I did it again, smirking when no sound feel from her opened mouth. I could do this to her & stare at her face all day, she was so beautiful. The faces she made were as much of a turn on than her actually touching me-

"Oh shit...oh shit I'm coming...I'm c-coming..."

I nuzzled her neck, nipping her ear. I wasn't really ready for her to come yet but this wasn't the most comfortable position, being that most of my weight was supported on one arm that was trapped under her ass & was begining to fall asleep.

I licked the shell of her ear slowly, making sure to breathe gently into it. "Give it to me" I whispered huskily.

& boy did she. I had never met a woman that could squirt quite like Kagura could. Of course I've helped women acheive some of the best orgasms & have been with a few who have squirted but I swear I wasn't sure if she was pissing or not, there was so much. But by the smell it was definitely cum & I was definitely turned on by those waterworks.

Kagura panted where she lay, her eyes closed & a little smile on her face. "That...was amazing"

Before I could reply she grabbed my hand, the one that was still in her panties & resting comfortablly against her warmth & brought it up to her mouth, & slowly sucking her essence off of my fingers...one...by...one.

Needless to say that got me ready for another round but she sat up after she finished & buttoned her pants then pulled me to her for a quick kiss that tasted like her delicious nectar.

"I'll see you around" she said against my lips, smirking then showed herself to the door.

Oh. My. God.

When the door closed Inuyasha's head popped up over the armrest & he burst out laughing. "Dude! You said that wasn't your girlfriend! What the fuck, man?"

I exhaled slowly & turned to lie on my back. "She's not"

"Oh my God you mean to tell me she just raped you? You lucky son of a bitch! Was that even planned?"

"Not at all"

Inuyasha head came into my line of vision again & he slapped my arm excitedly. "Dude! I can't believe you're not stoked about what just happened!"

"Hardly. I'm still horny" I hadn't actually meant to say that but it wasn't like he couldn't _see _that.

"I would've fucked her. I mean like dude I could smell her from over there. My mouth was watering like someone was cooking a damn steak"

I sighed & stood, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm going to my room"

"What? After that you're just going to _go to your room_? What the hell are you going to do, knit a fucking sweater you old biddy?"

"I'm going to masterbate. See you in the morning"

.

..

...

I spent probably the next four hours, masterbating to the images of Kagura in my head. It wasn't something I was necessarily ashamed of but it was kind of disappointing how she just left before I was satisfied though it's not like she was obligated to, which brought me to my next train of thought: what does that make us now?

As I lay panting heavily on my bed, spent, satisfied & hungry, my legs & right arm twitching, I thought about how I was supposed to act around her now. Am I supposed to give her a lecherous smile & a wink or just act like it never happened in case she didn't want to be in a relationship? I frowned. Was I just intended to be her booty call? Apparently it was something that we needed to discuss because I had no idea.

Around six in the evening there was more knocking at the front door. I had already taken a shower & cleaned up so I darted to the door & gave Inuyasha a look when I caught him top-toeing to the door.

"Oh come on!" he whispered, rolling his eyes but retreated back to the bedroom.

I opened the door & was surprised to see Kagome & Sango there, looking sheepish.

"Hello" I said though it sounded more like a question.

"Hi Sesshomaru" Kagome said in her soft, slightly annoying voice.

"Hey umm...we were wondering what you were doing today" Sango said, ducking her head, "We haven't seen you in so long, we were a bit worried about you"

"That's why you waited more than two weeks to visit?" I said smoothly. I didn't want it to sound like an accusation though it still had the bite to it. Both of their heads sunk a bit more into their shoulders.

"We...I thought you were upset with us" Sango said meekly

"When you left in a hurry that night at the bar...we didn't know what was going on" Kagome admitted.

I rolled my eyes upwards. "What can I do for you ladies today?"

"Well we were hoping you'd come hang out with us today" Sango spoke up, raising her head to meet my eyes, "We figured maybe you might be a bit lonely or something"

_Hardly. _I didn't feel like hanging out but I figured getting out for a bit would help me sort through my thoughts a bit. "Sure, I'll grab my keys"

Both women stepped forward as if I had invited them & I sighed, leaving the door open for them. I didn't want to be rude & tell them to wait for me outside even though this was only going to take a momen-

"Hey Sessh who was tha-ohh...shit"

My eyes widened as Inuyasha came sauntering out of the bedroom & froze as Kagome & Sango stared at him with questioning eyes before realization dawned on them.

"Oh my God you're the guy that tried to rob that store!" Kagome nearly shouted.

I could see Inuyasha fidgeting & repeatedly murmuring, "Fuck" under his breath as he looked around uncomfortablly.

"What is he doing here?" Sango gasped, her eyes turning to me.

I looked at Inuyasha again before turning to her. "He's my brother"

"He's also a fugitive!" Kagome whispered, "The police are offering two thousand dollars for him!"

"Two thousa-oh shit Sessh" Inuyasha began pacing slowly, his breathing picking up.

"I know he's a fugitive" I stated, ignoring his impending anxiety attack for now, "Which is why I have him here with me, where I can keep an eye on him"

"You do know you'll be considered an accomplice now right?" Sango said in a low voice, looking around as if someone might hear.

"Of course I know that" I said irritably, "It's a chance I'm willing to take for my flesh & blood!"

"Dude we have to say fuck next Tuesday. We gatta leave ASAP" Inuyasha whimpered, still pacing.

"Leave? To go where?" Kagome inquired.

"Fuck, Yasha, sit down already" I growled, getting annoyed.

"Are you leaving the city?" Sango squeaked.

"A horde is approaching the city, you can't leave now!" Kagome nearly shouted.

"I know-" I started.

"Dude fuck the paycheck, we don't need money if we have nothing to spend it on. Kill the witnesses & let's jet!" Inuyasha panted, the pitch of his voice rising.

"_Kill the witnesses_? You mean us? What the hell?" Sango demanded.

"We won't tell, we promise!" Kagome begged.

"That's what they all say & then next thing we know the police is surrounding us!" Inuyasha shouted, his voice now breathy & he began to weeze, his eyes glazing over as his anxiety attack began to take over.

"Everyone shut up!" I snapped & caught Inuyasha as he began to fall onto the couch

"Oh my God, does he have athsma?" Kagome asked, stepping forward.

"Back up!" I said, "Just stand over there on the other side of the room & be quiet for a moment!"

Sango & Kagome darted to the other side of the living room, their backs against the walls & watching Inuyasha & I with wide eyes while I spoke softly to my brother, gently rubbing his ears & whispering that it was ok, just calm down, I had things under control. After fifteen minutes his eyes came back into focus & his breathing slowed down to normal but he looked like he wanted to cry. His jaw muscle protruded as he fought against the urge & he sat up slowly.

"Sorry about that" he whispered to the women who made little noises as if to say that it was ok.

"Now" I started, "I think it goes without saying that I need you two to keep two things a secret: that Inuyasha is here & that we are leaving"

"Where in the hell do you plan to go? The horde is so close & the next gated city isn't for another 48 miles" Sango said, shifting her weight uncomfortablly.

Inuyasha's head dropped between his knees. "Fuck...fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck..."

"We have access to a car, it'll be fine" I responded.

"How do you hope to get it past the gates?" Kagome asked, "They have alarms on it & metal detectors"

I ran my hand over my face tiredly. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. "There has to be another way out than the front gate then"

Both women stared at the floor as they contemplated that & I slowly brought Inuyasha back from another anxiety attack, wishing I had paid more attention to alternate exits the day I searched the city for him.

"Miroku might know" Sango murmured to Kagome, reaching into her pocket for her phone

"Really?"

"Yeah he would know if there were any secret exits & whatnot or maybe he could even make one especially for us"

"But big enough to fit a car? I don't know about that Sango..."

"I have to try"

Sango's fingers flew furiously fast for a human's across the screen of her phone as she texted, her brows furrowed in concentration. After a moment she lowered the phone & stared at me with a look that was a cross between fear & excitment.

"So...this now means we're all accomplices...?"

I narrowed my eyes. "What did you tell him?"

"I just asked would he know of any exits from the city other than the gate in case there was an emergency"

Inuyasha gave me a panicked look. "He's gunna know, he's gunna ask questions & figure it out himself"

Sango scoffed. "Miroku is too dim-witted to figure out the reason why I asked that question"

Kagome grinned but Inuyasha & I were a bit skeptical still. Inuyasha's safety was in the hands of these two women who we didn't even know that well. Could we honestly trust them?

"Hey, apple!" said a disembodied voice, startling Inuyasha & Sango sheepishly pulled out her phone.

"I guess he replied..." she said in a shy voice. She read the text, frowning slightly before her fingers were once again flying across the screen.

"What'd he say?" Kagome asked, leaning towards the woman slightly.

"He said he does but it was emergency only" Sango answered distractedly.

"You mean it's an exit only the boss is allowed to use?"

Sango nodded, looking up at her with a annoyed expression. "Isn't that just ridiculous? Like the workers aren't even important"

While Kagome expressed how indeed ridiculous it was Inuyasha looked at me worriedly. "Sessh what are we gunna do?"

"We definitely have to leave earlier now that they know about you" I responded slowly, my thoughts whirring with plans & how to execute them, "I just don't think now is the right time"

"We could always leave this weekend"

I nodded. "If the horde hasn't reached the gates by that time. We have to time it so that we leave while the city is in chaos, trying to prepare for a possible break in & not notice us driving around but also before the horde gets here. Once the horde gets here there's no telling when we'd get a chance & that puts you even more at risk"

He nodded, his gaze falling as he thought that over & realizing it was a good plan (or he just couldn't think of anything better) then he looked up at Sango. "Ask him does he know about the time when the horde will get here"

Sango glanced at him for a moment then nodded, her fingers continuing to tap the screen quickly.

"I don't know about this guys" Kagome said uneasily, "Inuyasha hasn't been found for this long, maybe he can stay here a bit longer"

I noticed the way Inuyasha's eyes twinkled a bit & the corner of his mouth curled upwards.

_This is not the time to be thinking about some girl! _I thought irritably

"It's possible but it's only a matter of time" I stated & Inuyasha frowned at me.

"Beauty over there has a point. It's been, what, two weeks now? Don't they call it off after three or four weeks?"

I rolled my eyes, one reason because I noticed the girl blushing & digging the toe of her into the carpet like some schoolgirl & two because Inuyasha was willing to make himself look like an idiot to impress her. "Of course they don't stop looking for a criminal after three of four weeks, you moron! You tried to rob a store, they'll look for your ass as long as they have leads"

"They don't have any leads!" Inuyasha snapped.

"They have a damn video tape, they really don't need to know much else except where I live!"

"Well, _hello_, we're the only people who know that"

"& Kagura" I murmured, narrowing my eyes at him as he gave me a wide, suspiciously wicked smile

"Oh yeah she _did _come over here, didn't she?"

Sango looked up. "Kagura came over here by herself?"

"It was nothing" I brushed her off.

"I'd hardly call you two fingering each other 'nothing'" Inuyasha grumbled & I couldn't help but punch him in the face, only vaguely noticing both women gasping & gossiping excitedly.

"Sessh are you & Kagura dating or...?" Kagome trailed off, grinning.

"Or is she just your fuck buddy?" Sango bit out. I detected some bitterness in her voice but I couldn't understand why.

I sighed, dodging a punch Inuyasha directed at my face. "We're not dating & she's not my fuck buddy. We just so happened-" I ducked, dodging a powerful kick, "To mess around earlier. End of story"

"End of story, my ass!" Inuyasha shouted, "With all her moaning & groaning &, 'oh fuck me daddy' I'd say that bitch is coming back for some more sugar from her daddy _real_ fucking soon!"

"She did not call me daddy & do not call her a bitch" I said with calm authority.

"Bet he calls all the chicks that" Kagome grumbled under her breath, looking away.

"Aw I don't, sweet cheeks. Kagura just ain't a lady, if ya know what I mean" Inuyasha cooed to her, going over to run his hand over her cheek, turning his charm on to 100%, "She likes that freaky shit, not to mention she handled Sessh's ass like a whore"

"She's not a whore!"

"She didn't handle my ass!" Sango & I both snapped at the same time.

Kagome went back to staring at the floor & blushing & Inuyasha raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Hey I'm not judging. If she wants to go around, fucking guys cause he's a pretty boy, by all means, fuck him & even though she did, Sessh, I'm not judging you either"

He ducked behind Kagome when a remote & a stiletto shoe came flying for his face, both of the youngsters snicking as Sango stood there, fuming & I crossed my arms, frowning.

"Kagura's going to beat your ass when she hears about the shit you said about her!" Sango threatened.

I looked her up & down. "You always run back & tattle on people to Kagura?"

"Hey fuck you, pretty boy, you'd do the same if it was your best friend!"

"What adult runs back & tell their friend something like that, unless, of course, they're looking for drama?"

"It's this thing called loyalty, it has nothing to do with drama, pretty boy!"

I shifted & pointed my claw at her, lowering my head so we were almost eye level. "You've got one more time to call me pretty boy, human. I've killed your kind before & I will do it again" I whispered.

"& then you will be a fugitive just like your brot-"

I grabbed her by the throat to get my point across & her breathing went from normal to hitched & damn near hyperventilating in a matter of seconds. "Ok, ok, I get it!"

I sighed & let her go before turning to Inuyasha & Kagome who were talking quietly, the girl smiling bashfully. "So Yasha you are clear on our plan?"

He looked up at me & shrugged one shoulder. "It's not much but the less complicated the better"

"Miroku & I will discuss how to get a car through the boss's exit" Sango murmured, giving me a level stare, "& I promise I won't tell him about Inuyasha"

"Me either" Kagome piped.

"Nor will you tell him that I'm leaving as well" I said & sat down, running a hand over my face. It had been such a long day, I just wanted to relax with a glass of scotch & turn the television on.

"Fine. We'll see you guys later" Sango said & she left, Kagome following after giving Inuyasha a quick hug.

"You & Sango hit it off pretty well" he said, lounging on the couch.

I simply glared at him.

.

..

...

The next day I arrive to work a bit early. I stayed up for most of the night, perfecting our plans & daydreaming about what it'd be like outside the gates. Would we actually be able to make it to the next gated city when there weren't many gas stations outside the cities? Hopefully this car has good fuel efficiency because if we left before payday I won't be able to put gas in it.

As I'm cleaning my locker out & changing into my PT clothes so I can go for a run around the track, Naraku comes in, face stern.

"May I talk to you for a moment?"

I never knew why he asked questions like that. It's not like I could say that he couldn't. "Sure"

"How long do you plan on staying here, with this job, I mean?"

The question took me by surprise; I shrugged one shoulder. "As long as I am needed"

He crossed one arm across his chest & rested his other elbow on top of the arm, gripping his chin. "I got word that you plan on leaving"

I gritted my teeth in anger. I knew that worthless wrench couldn't keep anything to herself. "That...is correct"

He fixed me with a level stare, his crimson eyes boring into mine & making me feel a bit uncomfortable. "May I ask why?"

"With all respect, sir, I can't tell you"

He smirked. "Running away with your lover?"

"No, sir"

He shifted his hands to his narrow nips & sighed through his nose, his gaze now on the floor. He was one of the hardest people to read. His facial expressions gave nothing away unless he was angry or annoyed & his body language always translated authority. If he wasn't here to chew me out & inquire about why I was leaving then why exactly was he here?

I shifted uneasily. "Are we finished here?"

He nodded absentmindedly, still looking at the floor, deep in thought.

I pass him, half expecting him to grab my arm & demand more information out of me but he did nothing & I continued on to the track where I sprinted three miles before the burn in my legs slowed me down to a jog. Something occured to me as I was running: who in the hell did Naraku find out about me leaving & exactly how much did he know? Sure, it was a small world so it could've just been one of those six degrees of separation type deals but still...damn.

When I had had enough running I went back inside & realized I was out longer than I thought & since I hadn't clocked in I was technically ten minutes late. I know it wouldn't be a big deal to anyone else but I really, really hated being late.

I jogged to the conference room with the time clock computer & punched my number in quickly, hoping I wouldn't have to run the obsticle course as punishment. The thought of having to crawl through mud wasn't appeasing to me at the moment.

"You're late"

I hadn't even noticed Naraku was sitting at the right hand of the head table, his chin resting on his right fist. His crimson eyes regarded me almost in an amused way but his mouth was in its usual thin line of disappointment & annoyance.

"Yes, sir. I lost track of time while running"

Halfway through my explaintion he waved his hand dismissively. "No big deal, Sesshomaru. This is the first time you've been late, I'm not even going to bother"

I nodded my thanks, feeling kind of awkward standing there & not knowing if I was dismissed or he had something else to say. "I'm going to...get to wor-"

"Sit down" he said simply, nodding to the chair across from him. I sat, looking at him expectantly.

He regarded me carefully, his jaw muscle flexing as he slowly chewed his gum (he had recently quit smoking so he chewed gum pretty often. Even when he wasn't supposed to, he at least kept it under his tongue). "Where do you plan on going when you leave?" he asked me finally.

"The nearest gated city"

"& why are you leaving?"

I took a moment to form an answer that wouldn't tell him the whole truth & wouldn't be a lie. "My brother is in need of a job"

Naraku nodded slowly. "Jobs are hard to come by..."

I nodded in agreement.

There was another long silence that made me wonder again why the hell I was here. It was obvious he wanted to tell or ask me something specifically, so why didn't he just fucking ask it already?

"With all due respect, sir-"

"I want to come with you"

I stopped, blinked...closed my mouth & blinked again...then opened back up only to close it once more. I could feel my forehead wrinkle in surprise. "Uh...come again?"

"It is no secret that this city holds nothing for me but bad memories & annoying noobs. I've been wanting to leave for ages but never found the...the courage nor the means of successfully carrying out an escape plan" he said, chewing faster. He always chewed faster when he was thinking about something unpleasant.

"I want to get away from this place" he continued in a near whisper, "I want to leave this behind & start fresh elsewhere. Don't you ever get this feeling like you're a bird with its wings caked with so much shit you can't even fly? It's just dragging you down & you can't shake it off easily?"

_All the time. _I nodded, not trusting my voice at the moment.

He sighed, resting his forehead against his hand in a way that blocked my view of his eyes. "I just want to leave this shit behind & be somewhere else. That's the only way I could ever be at peace again. This city will send me into an early grave with all these memories splashed on these walls & it's on all the peoples' faces & it's stuffed into their mouths & it's like its the only thing that ever occupies my mind now. Wake up, work, home, dinner, sleep, repeat & painful memories in between"

I stayed quiet. When a man poured his heart out like this he didn't want you to talk. He just needed someone to talk to.

He sighed & leaned back in his chair, his chewing slowed down again. "So when do we leave?"


	6. Chapter 6

"WHAT?"

"Yasha, calm dow-"

"HELL no, Sessh! You expect me to be ok with some dude tagging along & I don't even know him? He works for the fucking fire department, who's to say he's not some undercover police officer?"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead tiredly. I wasn't exactly expecting Inuyasha to be thrilled about Naraku coming with us; more people just meant it'd be easier to be caught. But when I really thought about it, about how I would feel if I lost someone really close to me & their memory suffocated me constantly & how the thought of leaving the corner their memory has backed me into, I honestly couldn't say no to him. I'd jump at the chance to leave too.

Inuyasha flopped down on the couch. "Sessh I understand homeboy is ready to leave the city because it's so boring here-" he drew the last three words out which made it sound very sarcastic, "But he's gatta leave in his own car, at his own time, by himself. If he gets caught he'll be the one to suffer the consquences"

I hadn't told Inuyasha about Naraku losing his wife. I felt it was too personal to be going around telling anyone, not to mention Inuyasha didn't know how to keep his mouth closed.

"If they catch other people leaving they won't punish them, except they won't be able to get back in the city but if he leaves with us..." damn I hated when Inuyasha had a point.

"Exactly, he'd be considered an accomplice! That's all the more reason for him to not go with us!"

"Yasha he doesn't have a car" I argued lamely.

"Not our problem! This is a life or death situation in our case! We can't afford to be caught while his slate is fucking clean as a whistle"

I sighed again & sat down in my chair, rubbing my forehead some more. I could feel a headache coming. "Yasha, can you promise to keep your mouth shut?"

"What? Why?"

"Just promise me"

"I ain't promising nothing if I don't know what I gatta make a promise to!"

"I promise I won't make you promise to do something that'll embarass you or even make you uncomfortable, I just want you to keep your mouth closed about this & I need you to promise me"

Inuyasha glared at me skeptically but once I extended my right pinky finger he knew I was serious. He hooked his right pinky finger with mine. "Fine, I promise to keep my mouth closed"

"It's just a rumor, though I think it's true but anyway, the guy that wants to come lost his wife a few weeks ago. She was turned into a zombie & he was forced to kick her out of the city"

Inuyasha's eyes widened & his mouth gaped open but he didn't say a word.

"If he comes with us I don't want you to run your mouth & wind up saying something about it"

"Wow, no, man, that's...wow, must be hard..."

"Exactly. That's why he wants to leave with us"

"Does he know about me?"

"He knows of you, not your name or what you look like"

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "Alright. But if he looks suspicious then it's a no-go"

.

..

...

"HELL NO!"

I dropped my face into my hand & sighed heavily at Inuyasha's outburst when I pointed out Naraku, sitting in the bar, currently waiting for me since I set it up to meet him today to discuss my plan with him. "Yasha..."

"Heeeeeeell no!" he drawled, shaking his head, "Hell to the no, Sessh! That man screams undercover cop!"

"He is _not _an undercover cop"

"How do you know? Exactly, you don't because he's undercover!"

I leaned back into my seat & sighed again. "Yasha..."

"Hell no, Sessh, he looks suspicious. If he ain't a cop, he's a criminal"

"Oh come on!"

"Don't lie & say he don't look like no damn criminal!"

I grimaced at Inuyasha's incorrect grammar but didn't mention it. "You're stereotyping"

"I'm trying to save our asses here!"

"I didn't say you had to go in there & introduce yourself to him. You said you wanted to check him out so here we are. You could've just stayed at home you know"

Inuyasha turned his body to face me. "Damn it, Sessh, you're too naive! I gatta check people out because you're so gullible! Someone says you're pretty & you're giggling like a school girl!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Do not get me confused with your little girlfriend"

He frowned. "Kagome? Nah, man, she's not my girlfriend...yet" he added the last part with a lecherous grin & I rolled my eyes.

"I'm going in"

"Sessh, wait, wait! You remember that if he starts looking around & blinking real hard then you need to get out of there before the ninjas drop from the cieling & arrest you?"

"Oh Yasha, be quiet"

"Promise me damn it! Make sure he keeps his hands in your sight at all times & if he touches his ear then you better get the fu-"

I stucked my hands into my pockets & walked away mid-sentence, shaking my head. I swear that boy watched way too many assassin movies.

As I approached Naraku I began to get nervous. What if our plans didn't go as planned? What if we get caught? How would we survive? Where would we go? I inhaled slowly & exhaled as I sat beside the kumo, folding my hands in front of me, on the table. Naraku regarded me with his sultry crimson eyes, chewing very slowly.

"You seem nervous" he commented.

"There is quite a bit at stake here"

"Like?"

"Our survival. Should we be caught we will be killed"

Naraku's eyebrows rose a bit at that & he stopped chewing for a moment. "Why would we be killed? It's not like we're criminals. The worse they can do is not let us back in when we do leave"

I didn't say anything, hoping he'd understand through my silence what I was trying to imply.

"Ah shit..." he muttered, leaning on his elbows, "What did you do?"

"I did nothing but I am an accomplice"

Naraku swore a bit more under his breath, chewing faster. "Are they worth being killed over?"

"I can only speak for myself when I say that yes, they are worth my life"

"You say it like there are other people coming along"

I shrugged one shoulder. Knowing Inuyasha, he'd want that Kagome to come. "It is possible"

"How many more?"

"Just one"

He sighed & rubbed his eyes tiredly. "More people means there's more of a chance of being caught & since we're all leaving with a criminal we're all now considered accomplices"

"I know, I know"

He swore a bit more & took a long drink from his glass of what looked like water but was probably vodka. "Alright. As long as we know what the risks are. Is there a plan in motion?"

"We have bags in which we will store our water & food. I was going to pick up my check Tuesday, go back to my apartment, pack the car with our things-"

Naraku raised an eyebrow. "You have a car?"

"It's my neighbor's"

"What is your nieghbor doing with a car?"

I waved my hand in a dismissive, irritated way. "I don't know. Anyway I have connections with the wall builders & he's going to find a way for us to leave out the emergency exit"

Naraku nodded slowly, waving a waitress over to bring him a refill. "That's pretty solid. & if something goes wrong?"

"Then we get thrown to the horde that's approaching in a few days"

His eyes drilled into mine & he exhaled heavily. "Big risk"

"But necessary"

At that moment Naraku's phone went off & he retrieved it out of his pant's pocket, frowning at the screen before sliding his finger across it & putting it up to his ear, holding up a finger in my direction.

"What is it? It doesn't matter, what do you want?"

I asked the bartender for a drink, trying not to eavesdrop on Naraku's conversation, which was hard, considering how loud he was talking, clearly irritated.

"Yes, yes, I know that. Hopefully I'll be gone long before you get here. Whatever. Yeah"

Naraku hung up, tossing his phone onto the bar, demanding another drink. "My sister's on her way here. I know she's going to bring one of her ditsy friends to hit on me & try to get me dating again"

I nodded, not knowing how exactly to respond to that. As much as I wanted to bring up his wife, I didn't feel it'd be appropia-

"I don't have any interest in dating, not since my wife died" he muttered.

I raised my eyebrows, feigning innocence. So it wasn't just a rumor. "Oh? I'm sorry to hear that"

He waved his hand dismissively. "She was bitten on our way to this city so needless to say she was turned & I had to...let her go. It's why I want to leave so bad"

I nodded. "I understand"

There was a comfortable silence between us while we sipped our drinks before Naraku shifted so that he was facing me. "Do you have a girlfriend or wife?"

For some reason I blushed a little. "No, no. I did a few weeks before this outbreak but I lost contact with her"

"Oh. Well, that's unfortunate"

I wondered suddenly why would he ask me that. I assumed he just wanted to make conversation but of all the things to talk about...

"Well, well, look what we have here"

I turned at the familiar voice & inhaled sharply as Kagura stood behind me in a slinky red dress, her eyes dark & seductive & Kagome looking like a schoolgirl next to her, flashing me a shy smile.

"Sesshomaru this is my sister Kagura & her friend...?"

"Kagome" Kagura filled in, her eyes on mine.

I was still stuck on the fact that Kagura was my boss's sister. I mean, had I not been preparing to leave the city & therefore leaving my job I'd worry about whether or not I was still employed. This was about to get really awkward.

I noticed then that Naraku & Kagome were watching us curiously.

"You two have met?" Naraku inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we're mutual friends"

"Yes, we almost had sex" Kagura & I said at the same time & shooting each other surprised looks.

I felt my heart sink as Naraku frowned. "You two did what?"

"Nothing" I interrupted Kagura, narrowing my eyes at her, "Nothing. We just went to a bar with some friends"

"I clearly heard Kagura say you two had sex" Kagome spoke up & I rolled my eyes.

"_Almost_ had sex" I corrected her.

"What the hell does that mean?" Naraku asked, his frown deepening.

"He fingered me" Kagura said as if it was no big deal & Naraku's crimson eyes glared at me.

I sighed. "It was only one time. She just came over & it just...happened then she left before it got too heated"

Naraku then directed his glare at Kagura. "Was it consentual?"

"Of course it was. You think I'd be calm about it if it wasn't?" Kagura muttered & ordered a drink. Kagome sat next to me, clearly too shy to flirt with Naraku who was now giving me quite a dirty look.

"The next time you come into work I'm going to make you run your ass off & run that obstical course until you need a machine to help you breathe" Naraku snarled under his breath.

I sighed & tried to massage the headache away. Damn I hated that obstical course...

.

..

...

The rest of the night went by very slowly & awkwardly. Kagura kept giving me these seductive winks, Kagome chattered to me & Kagura ceaselessly, neither of us really listening & Naraku kept sending me murderous glares. All things considered it could be worse.

"So was he good?" Naraku asked Kagura, his eyes on me but his body turned in her direction.

Never mind. It was worse now.

Kagura frowned. "What?"

"Was he good? Did he...satisfy you?"

"Naraku that is none of your business! Just because I'm your little sister does not mean I'm still a child so you can cut this whole protective older brother bullshit"

"I'm trying to protect you! Remembering how that asshole, Hakudoshi, broke your heart?"

My eyebrows rose. She was with Hakudoshi? What the hell?

"That was my fault. He was married, I should've known better" Kagura muttered, throwing her drink back.

"He's still married" I blurted, looking away as if I hadn't said anything when both siblings glared at me.

"You let these assholes treat you like an object & then I have to be the shoulder you lean on!" Naraku growled.

"Hey whoa I'm not even like that" I defended myself but they didn't even spare me a glance.

"I was feeling sorry for myself because I was young & stupid!" Kagura retorted, "I'm older & stronger now"

"Yeah we'll see about that when he-" he motioned wildly in my direction, "Breaks your little heart because you find out he prefers to have his dog jack him off than to have sex with you!"

"That's enough!" I shouted, slamming my hand on the table & gaining much more attention than the two arguing, "I have much more respect for women than a lot of guys out there, even if the world has gone to shit so don't you dare categorize me with them, do you understand? I don't care _who _you think you are, you will not talk to me or about me like I'm not here & I don't matter! I show you respect so I expect the same in return!"

There was a moment of silence before a few surrounding tables began to applaud & I exhaled deeply, closing my eyes as Naraku, Kagura & Kagome all stared at me. If I had a job a few minutes ago I'd just lost it. But who cares? I'm a grown man; I'm not going to let anyone treat me like a welcome mat, not to mention I'm leaving anway.

I noticed Naraku smirking & I already knew what he was about to say. "That took balls, Sesshomaru. No one's ever stood up to me like that"

...Ok I didn't see that coming.

"See, I know what I'm doing" Kagura mock-whispered & winked at me before ordering another drink.

"I must say I have a new-found respect for you now" Naraku said, slowly chewing his gum & chuckling, "Not even my mother would speak to me like that"

I only nodded & sipped my drink, painfully aware of Kagome giving me these big, supposedly endearing eyes, batting her eyelashes. Yeah she was cute & all but I had the feeling she was way too young for me.

"But listen" Naraku said, his voice darkening & lowering, "If you hurt her feelings, I will break your neck. Understand?"

"We're not even an item, Naraku, it was just that one tim-"

"Do _not_...break her heart" he interuppted.

Fine. I wasn't obligated to answer to her so exactly how hard could that be?

.

..

...

"You're leaving?" Kagura nearly shouted.

I sighed & went back to rubbing my forehead. I sincerely hoped we had asprin at home. Speaking of home I really needed to be heading there but then Naraku had to mention "the plan" & then had to fill Kagura in & that's where we are now.

"Yes. I'm leaving the city"

"What the hell, why?"

"Because...because it's either be killed or risk being killed"

She rose an eyebrow at me & glanced at Naraku who just nodded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I sighed again. "Long story short, someone I care for is wanted & we need to leave before they are caught"

She narrowed her eyes. "You care about them, huh?"

"It's not like that, Kagura"

"He did mention it was a male earlier" Naraku said off-handly, stirring his drink with his finger.

Kagura seemed to relax when she heard that & I slowly shook my head.

"Hey guys" Kagome spoke up (honestly we'd kind of forgotten about her), "Have we decided on when we're leaving?"

"You're staying here. There is no 'we'" I say simply. She pouted.

"But I wanna go too!"

"The risk is too great, especially for you when you don't even have a reason to go"

"I don't _have_ to have a reason! I wanna go!"

Naraku frowned at her. "Whining will get you nowhere. The more people we bring, the harder it will be to escape. You will stay"

"Inuyasha will not be happy about this" she grumbled.

I turned towards her. "& what makes you think that?"

"Who's Inuyasha?" Kagura & Naraku said at the same time I spoke.

"Inuyasha is my brother, the criminal" I say quickly

"& my boyfriend" Kagome added smugly.

"The guy that killed that cashier?" Naraku said, eyes going wide.

I sighed & nodded. "He was trying to take food because he was hungr-"

"Your brother killed my father!" Kagura shouted.

Oh. Fuck.

"Naraku..."

I'd noticed his crimson eyes were ablaze & he was slowly tensing his body like he was about to attack me. Kagura was snarling, her claws ready to swipe & I stood up.

"If you want to fight then let's at least take this outsi-"

I stepped back from Kagura's claws that swiped at my mid-section & slid out of Naraku's way, who lunged for me. I could faintly hear Kagome shouting as I gradually dodged my way out the door, making sure to lead them away from the car & hoping to God Inuyasha didn't feel the need to get out & "save" me.

"SESSH!"

I sighed. I guess it was too much to ask.

Inuyasha's red form quickly rushed from the shadows & tackled Kagura to the ground, momentarily distracting Naraku. I took that chance to wrap his arm around his back so that his elbow was bent & his arm was resting along his spine, holding it up to make it uncomfortable for him & wrapped my other claw around his neck. He struggled, snarling & snapping his jaws but he gradually stopped when I brought poison to my fingertips.

"Sesshomaru, you _bastard!_ Let me go!"

"You need to calm down, Naraku" I said calmly. He was quite strong so I had to put a bit of effort into holding him.

Inuyasha was struggling with Kagura, who was on top of him & trying to claw at his face but he was holding her arms away.

"Tell Kagura to calm down & get off of him" I said in a low voice.

"Go fuck yourself"

I twisted his arm & he groaned. "Kagura, enough. Get off of him"

"_Fuck you!"_

He snarled at her in a language that I didn't even recognize & she stopped, looking up at him, her eyes going wide as she regarded he & I. "Sesshomaru, how could you...?"

"Get off of him & let me explain" I said calmly.

After a moment's hesitation she stood but not before delivering a kick to Inuyasha's side, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Bitch" he muttered.

"Mutt" she spat.

I slowly let Naraku go & he turned to me so quickly I immediately held my claws at the ready.

"Explain why I shouldn't rip that boy's head off & yours along with him!" he demanded.

"One, because I wouldn't let you. & Inuyasha didn't kill your father on purpose-" I responded.

"I ain't kill nobody!" Inuyasha shouted.

"The cashier!" I snapped & his formed an O of recognition.

"How about I "accidently" run your brother over then, huh?" Kagura snapped, gesturing wildly.

Inuyasha frowned in confusion & I sighed.

"They're brother & sister & the cashier was their father"

"Oh...shit, man I'm really sorry" Inuyasha said, his eyes wide, standing slowly.

"Sorry isn't enough!" Naraku growled, turning to him.

"Whatchu want me to do, get a witch to bring him back? I said I was fucking sorry!"

"You ungrateful brat!" Kagura snarled & lunged for him but I intercepted, trapping her hands behind her back.

"He didn't mean to do it" I told her gently in her ear.

"Of course you take his side! Your father wasn't decapitated at the hands of a stupid teenager!"

"I lost my father to that zombie outbreak so I know it feels unfair. I lost both of my parents. No, they did not die at the hands of a wreckless teenager but the loss left an ache all the same. I'm not saying you are wrong for feeling the way that you do; you have every right to want to rip him a new one. But there's nothing else you can do" I said.

"We can turn his ass into the police" Naraku said in a deadly tone.

"Then how the hell are you going to escape this prison of a city?" I shot back, letting Kagura go & shoving her away to step up to Naraku, "You want to find a way out of here, fine. Go find a car & get the hell out. Take the only family I have left, have him thrown to the horde who will probably be approaching the city in two days & leave me to suffer the same feelings of loss & heartache that you are currently suffering from now!"

Naraku inhaled slowly, crossing his arms & chewing faster, his eyes rolling but he didn't say anything. Kagura had her arms crossed as well as she glared at the ground & I glanced at Inuyasha who looked like he'd just lost his best friend.

"I will never forget the crime" Naraku started off, his voice rough, "You took someone very important away from us for no reason. But I understand it was an accident & though I can't be sure if I forgive you I'll let it go"

Inuyasha nodded appreciatively but he still had his head down, his ears drooping forward. I glanced at Kagura only to find her glaring at me.

"I do not forgive him. It was senseless & though it was an accident he had no business trying to rob the store in the first place. Someone has to hold it against you that what you did was terrible & stupid so I will gladly take up that duty"

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you directing that at me or the one who actually did it?"

She raised her chin. "I'm refering to him but you are the one who takes his side simply because he is your brother & I can not tolerate that"

"As if you wouldn't do the same for your own brother..."

"My brother has not committed a crime!"

"Then put yourself in my shoes & think about what you would do & say!"

Kagura only shook her head & uncrossed her arms. "We are done here. I'm leaving"

We watched her leave in silence & then Naraku turned to me, eyes guarded.

"Have we decided on a leave day?"

I looked at Inuyasha who looked at me & for some reason we both nodded at the same time & I turned back to Naraku. "Tomorrow, after I pick up my check"

"Fine. See you then"

& with that he walked off, body language clearly still irritated & even from behind I could see how quickly his jaw muscle was moving from chewing his gum.

.

..

...

Inuyasha was quiet all the way back home. I honestly don't remember the last time he graced me with such precious silence but really, it was starting to make me uncomfortable. The only time he was quiet was when he was trying to sneak & do something or when he used to lock himself in his bedroom & ... do things with himself.

By the time we got home I actually kind of missed his talkative self. He was slouching as he walked, ears still limp with regret & his bottom lip pushed out slightly. I felt the need to tussle his hair & tell him it was going to be alright but that was something I would've said before this outbreak.

I stopped on the curb right before the stairway up to my apartment & exhaled slowly, running my fingers through my hair. "Tell me what's on your mind"

Inuyasha's ears twitched but otherwise he didn't move or say anything for a full five minutes. "Remember when we used to lay on top of mine or Dad's car & look at the stars?"

I nodded. "I remember very well"

"I miss that. We used to have some deep meaningful conversations & we had a lot of fun too"

I nodded again & then stepped off the curb, turning back to look at him when I didn't sense him following me. "Well come on. Let's go sit on top of a car then"

He grinned, his ears lifting, & we both walked towards the car we were planning to take that was parked near the back of the subdivision where no one lived. I sat on the trunk, reclined so that my back was laying on the back windshield & Inuyasha's long legs stretched out over the hood of the car, his head resting on the sunroof.

"So...you & that Kagura bitch datin'?" he asked after a moment.

"Dear God, no. Tonight was my first time talking to her since she came over & practically raped me"

"From the looks of things you were way too willing for it to be considered rape"

"I have to admit it was pretty good..."

"Did you lick your fingers after you fingered her?"

"What the hell, no!"

"Dude you gatta taste her cum to make sure she's alright down there. Did she lick your fingers?"

I frowned. "Well...yeah but what difference does that make?"

"If you finger a chick & she doesn't lick your fingers that's a good indication that you shouldn't go down on her"

The way he said it made me burst out laughing. "Yasha where do you come up with these things?"

"Dude I am so fuckin' serious. I read on some sex website that generally, a person is going to like the smell & taste of their cum unless they don't take care of themselves or if they have an STD of some kind. You know kind of how gas has that funky good smell to it? Or when you get musty?"

"I've never liked the smell of must, Yasha..."

"Because you don't eat healthy!"

I chuckled. "So you do?"

He was quiet for a moment; I could imagine him shrugging one shoulder. "If I'm feeling freaky I'll eat nothing but fruits & vegetables for a week so then it'll taste good"

"How in the hell do you know a week in advance that you'll want to taste your cum?& why the hell would you _want _to taste it?"

"Sessh you're making this conversation really awkward man..."

"You're the one that brought it up"

I sighed, shaking my head & smiling. "Fine, let's change the subject then"

"Hey Sessh...?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever...thought about what it'd be like...being with a...a man?"

I swear my eyebrows rose up to my hairline. "Say what now?"

"I don't mean I've actually _considered_ it or nothin', it's just...you know...kinda wondered..."

I sat up & turned to look at the top of his head. "Yasha are you bisexual?"

"No, dude! Just...just, ugh...forget it, man"

"No, no, tell me"

He sighed heavily, throwing his hands up in exaggerated gestures. "It's just...Kagome said it'd be hot if I made out with a guy...or whatever. Got me thinking that...I don't know, maybe I should try it"

"Yasha don't lower yourself to that girl's standards"

"It's just an idea I was playing around with, damn. Not like I want to fuck a guy"

"What about if he played with your bootyhole?"

Inuyasha laughed so hard, he started to slide off the car. He caught himself right before he hit the ground & crouched beside the car, still laughing. "Sessh, what the...dude you're crazy"

I chuckled & absentmindedly noted the soft russling noise I heard near-by. I figured it was just an animal or something (cats practically owned the streets of this damn city) so I brushed it off.

"But no for real, I don't know...it's just something different" Inuyasha said after he recovered, "& I don't care what you say, I'm still straight!"

I smirked. "I never thought otherwise"

He scoffed & climbed back onto the hood of the car, sighing. "Sessh...you ever wonder how long we're going to be able to survive? Like...you think we'll ever be turned...in them?"

"Alright, I see it's time for you to go to bed, Yasha" I say, sliding smoothly off the car.

"What? No I'm being serio-"

"You're Inuyasha?"

My head snapped in the direction of an unfamiliar voice, towards the area where I heard that russeling noise & a dark figure slid out of the shadows.

"Yeah, who's asking?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms.

The figured raised its arm & a little light in its hand came on which disappeared as it was held up to the side of the figure's head. "Police, I found that Inuyasha guy!"

"Oh shit!" Inuyasha looked at me with a panicked expression & I grabbed his arm & took off running. My heart was pounding as fast as a hummingbird's wings & the hot grip of fear took hold of my heart as I pulled Inuyasha down the twists & turns of the apartment complex. Where to run, where to run? I couldn't run to my apartment; whoever that was back there would follow me & we'd be surrounded within minutes.

I heard Inuyasha wheezing behind me, his other hand reaching out to grab my arm. "Se-Sessh, wait..."

I yanked us into an ally & pulled him into me, smoothing his hair to calm him down from his anxiety attack. In the short distance that we ran he was already sweating & his chest was heaving as if he'd run a marathon. His shaky hands gripped my sleeves, his heavy, shuddering breathes brushing across my arm. I tried singing a soft lullaby to him to calm him down; his wheezing was so loud it wouldn't take much searching to find us.

"Dancing bears...painted wings...things I almost...remember...& a song...someone sings...once upon a December..."

"What are we gunna do? Oh shit Sessh...what are w-w-we gunna do?" he whispered harshly.

"Everything's under control, Yasha" I said in a voice that I was glad didn't reveal the anxiety I was feeling, "It's alright, I know what to do, stop worrying & calm down"

I heard footsteps approaching quickly, as if the person was running & I clamped my hand over Inuyasha's mouth which was probably not the best idea, but he was breathing so hard I was almost positive a passing human would hear him.

The shadowed figure ran into our line of vision, a silhouette of a slender man & Inuyasha & I froze. The man stopped & brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Uh yeah...y-yeah I chased them but I l-lost them" he said, out of breath, "I'm sure they're still in area though so hurry"

He went on to describe what Inuyasha & I were wearing, how we had our hair styled & explaining our stand-out features. As he talked Inuyasha slowly began to sink to his knees & I gritted my teeth. This was not the time for him to pass out!

I lifted him up in my arms & cradled him until the man walked off then I wandered off to a section of the apartment complex that I felt more safe in. Sitting down & holding Inuyasha close to me, I took my phone out & dialed a number that I memorized the other day at work.

"Yeah?" came the irritated reply.

"Naraku we have to leave now. Get your things"

"What?" he sounded a bit more awake now, "What's going on?"

"We've been spotted & the police have been alerted. We have to leave. _Right now"_


	7. Chapter 7

I hurriedly zipped the bag containing water bottles & food closed & slung it on my shoulder while Naraku carried two large bags from my bedroom. I nodded & we both left the apartment & threw the bags in the trunk of the car. Inuyasha was still passed out in the backseat, his breathing evened out in a peaceful slumber. I took his phone out of his pocket & looked for Kagome's number, finally finding it under "my boo bear" (I rolled my eyes) several minutes later .

"Who are you calling?" Naraki asked quietly, fidgeting in the passenger seat.

Just as I was getting ready to answer the phone picked up. "Hello?" Kagome's groggy voice asked.

"Kagome, I need Miroku's number right now"

"S-Sesshomaru? What's going on? What's wrong?"

"I need you to give me his number right now. I don't have much time to explain right now"

She hesitantly gave me the man's numbers & when she repeated her question about what was wrong I hung up on her. I might explain some other time. Right now I needed answers.

I quickly dialed Miroku's number, my sweaty fingers sliding across the screen several times & causing me to hit random numbers which made me mess up several times. He was the one who was supposed to be working on our escape exit, he was the most important to talk to right now. I had to redial his number twice before he picked up.

"Hello?" his voice was hoarse with sleep.

"Miroku I need to know if that escape exit is ready"

"Wait what? Who's this?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's Sesshomaru"

"Oh hey man. How's it going?"

"I don't have time for chit-chat! We need to leave right now!"

"Hey whoa, whoa. Calm your tits, the exit isn't ready yet"

"_What?_"

"I haven't decoded the password as of yet. A buddy of mine is going to come from Kyoto to hack it but he won't be here for another four days at least"

"I don't _have _four days! I need to get the hell out of here!"

"Well hell what do you want me to do? Unless you can hack it I suggest you cool your heels"

I hung up & flung the phone away irritably, glaring past the windshield.

"What's wrong?" Naraku asked.

"The guy that's supposed to get us through the emergency exit doesn't have a hacker to access the code. The fucker won't get here for at least four days" I grumbled.

"Shit..."

I unconsciously bounced my knee. We had to do something; the police were going to be here any minute now & I didn't want to even be in this area when they arrived. I could feel the frustration taking hold of me, causing my knee to bounce faster & my fangs to grit, my claws curling into fists so tight, blood ran down my wrist. I refuse to let Inuyasha be caught, arrested & thrown to the horde. Sure, what he did was wrong but can you really blame someone for trying to rob a store when they were hungry during a zombie apocolypse? I growled under my breath. Maybe if Inuyasha hadn't killed the cashier this wouldn't have to be taken so far-

Naraku set his large, surprisingly soft hand on my knee to still it. "Sesshomaru, tell me what's on your mind"

"I'm not going to allow my little brother to be killed over this shit!" I snapped without meaning to, "He was hungry & when your father pulled out that gun he panicked! As his big brother I'm supposed to protect him but I can't do shit except go down with him!"

"Calm down now. Let's concentrate on what we need to do"

"There is nothing we _can _do! Unless you know how to hack a damn passcode!"

The moment Naraku puffed his chest out I knew I was about to get it. "Son, don't you talk down to me in that sarcastic tone! Don't think because we're not at the station that I can't drop your ass & make you give me fifty!" his baritone voice boomed.

At the first word Inuyasha was awake, his eyes wide & afraid & he was already starting to weeze. "Sessh, what the hell...?"

I sighed. "It's fine Yasha. Go back to sleep"

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes it is"

"Promise?"

"Yes"

"Say it"

"I promise everything's ok"

Satisfied Inuyasha rested his head against the window but didn't close his eyes. Naraku began massaging his forehead & muttering to himself, fumbling around in his pocket before taking out a stick of gum & quickly popping it into his mouth like he'd been craving it.

"Do you know where this exit is?" he asked.

"No I don't know-!"

Naraku shot me a murderous glare. "Bring that tone of voice down"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know where it is. All I know is it's on the back wall, where the wall builder's office is"

"Then let's go there"

"Naraku the police are after us-"

Something in his eyes made me stop & the glare he threw at me made me throw the car into drive & slowly pull out of the apartment complex.

"I used to hack peoples' accounts on a few chatsites in my younger days" Naraku muttered after a few moments of silence, "I even hacked the administrator's computers in school & turned off the bandwith limit & for three hours my friends & I were able to get on Facebook"

"Wow you would've been awesome to be friends with back before this outbreak" Inuyasha said quietly, his eyes wide.

Naraku shrugged. "I did it because I was bored, not for any other reason. I'm assuming if this security passcode is anything like a computer I could figure out how to hack into it & disable it"

"We need a plan to fall back on in case it's not like a computer" I said rationally

"True. Should I not have it hacked in six minutes tops, we leave through the front gates & hope neither the cops nor horde catches us"

"What? That's too big of a risk!" Inuyasha sputtered.

"Alright" I said with a nod & Inuyasha threw his hands up in an exaggerated way.

"Sessh!"

"Yasha, relax. We have this under control"

"You're going to stop treating me like a child one day!"

"I will when you stop acting like one!" I snapped.

"Hey you two calm down. This is no time to lose our heads" Naraku said quietly but sternly.

I drove the car as silently as I could through the dark streets. I thought about all the apocalypic movies I'd seen, how the main characters are always dirty with ripped & torn clothes, barely scrapping by. Besides these walls & the threat of a horde approaching any day now it really didn't feel like an apocalypse.

As I continued through the city, doing about 10 miles an hour, Naraku looking out for something that indicated where the passcode was located, I began to wonder what I'd be doing with my life now had the world not gone to shit. What would I be doing right at this moment? Considering it was Saturday night I'd be in front of TV, eating some fast food or out playing pool with the guys then go out to the bar & hook up with some hot chick.

Then I began to wonder about all those one-night stands & ex-girlfriends, wondering how they were surviving or had they been turned. Did they suffer or did it happen so quickly that their brain didn't even register the pain? There was only one ex that I wasn't on good terms with & I didn't even hope that she had suffered.

& then I thought about my parents. That thought brought such a deep ache in my chest. I realized I hadn't even properly mourned for them yet but now was definitely not the time. I hope someone found them & put them out of their misery; I know how much they would've hated themselves for attacking Inuyasha & I & being reduced to monsters. A thought occurred to me that maybe we should've put them down (I couldn't bring myself to even think about saying "kill them") before we left but I honestly don't think we could've done it, as tramatized as we were-

"Stop here" Naraku said quickly but quietly.

Because I had been going so slow the car stopped on a dime & Naraku stepped out, leaving the door open. He walked between two houses & then I lost sight of him which made me nervous. What if something attacked him? What if someone saw us? We couldn't very well just take off without him.

"I think we should follow him" Inuyasha whispered, straining his eyes as if that would help him see through the inky shadows better.

I only nodded & we both got out, careful to not shut the doors too hard (though that meant they weren't all the way closed). We slinked through the shadows & quite literally ran into Naraku who placed a steady hand on my shoulder.

"The passcode should be right around this area" he whispered.

"How do you know?" Inuyasha & I asked at the same time.

"This is a decoy, a fake passcode that will sound off in case anyone tried to hack into it"

I stilled. "Then how will we know the real passcode won't sound off?"

"& how do you know this is fake?" Inuyasha asked, shifting uneasily.

"The fake passcodes have a nucleous that blinks green when it's opened" Naraku responded, stepping to the side to let us see that, indeed, there was a deep green core pulsing in it's middle, the buttons transparent, "The real passcode is not lit with any colors. It's meant to confuse you, like how Iceland is not really made of ice but Greenland is"

I absentmindedly noticed he hadn't asked my question.

"Damn this guy is smart" my brother murmured under his breath & I heard Naraku's rumbling chuckle.

I kept my hand on Naraku's back, Inuyasha's hand on my own, as Naraku trailed his hand along the concrete steel-enforced wall. A few times Inuyasha would trip & I panicked, thinking someone had grabbed him, but then he'd recover & I calmed down before he could see the nervous tension on my face.

It was a while before Naraku stopped & flipped up the cover of the passcode which looked like the keypad of a touch-screen phone. He rubbed his chin for a moment before glancing at me, putting his hand on the side of my neck as he looked deeply into my eyes, now that our eyes had adjusted to the darkness.

"If I'm not done in six minutes, we leave,. No hesitation" he said quietly.

I nodded, ignoring the way my skin burned under his hand. It felt like I was about to burst into flames & I already knew I was blushing. No one touched me in such a personal way except girls I used to date & even then I sort of leaned away from the touch. But with Naraku I felt frozen & like I was melting at the same time.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

I saw the side of his mouth rise in a seductive lopsided grin, his ran his thumb over my cheek before turning his attention back to the keypad.

"What'd he say?" Inuyasha whispered.

Before I could answer his phone tinkered & he sighed, sliding his finger across the screen & holding it up to his ear. "Hello? Yeah. Yeah everything's fine, just go back to sleep. Because...becaus-wait Sessh called you?"

He had enough sense to talk quietly but when I heard Naraku swear softly & snatch his hands back from the passcode I wanted him to shut the hell up so the man could concentrate.

"No, no, no, baby, I swear everything's fine. He always sounds like that when he hasn't gotten enough sleep"

I turned to him & made a swift motion with my hand across my throat, my eyes narrowed as I indicated I wanted him to end the call.

He nodded. "Right, right, babe. Listen I gatta go, aight? I'll talk to you later. Yeah. Yeah, I promise. Goodnight"

"This shit is complicated" Naraku grumbled under his breath, "How much time do I have?"

Inuyasha glanced at his phone. "Four minutes"

I felt dread slide down into my stomach. We couldn't risk the front gates. Who's to say the police won't chase us outside the gates? If that was the case maybe we had less than four minutes...

Naraku rubbed his hands together slowly, saying something under his breath. Then he slowly reached forward & flipped the keypad up again with his claw, exposing the wires. "Inuyasha do me a favor & hold the phone up so I can see what I'm doing"

I stepped aside & Inuyasha stepped up beside Naraku & I heard his flashlight application start up. Then silence fell & I was left to pace the area nervously. I rarely ever felt nervous, the last time being the night we found Mother & Father (I don't count the time I couldn't find Inuyasha on the highway because I was actually scared then).

I raised my head when I heard a noise, something that sounded like...

My heart dropped & my muscles locked as I quickly stepped up to Naraku's other side who was concentrating solely on the keypad.

"You hear that?" Inuyasha questioned as soon as I opened my mouth.

"Shhh..." Naraku whispered though we weren't entirely sure if he was shushing us or just exhaling heavily.

"Police sirens" I confirmed.

"Oh shit"

I didn't have time to comfort Inuyasha at the moment; sure, we were hidden in the shadows, behind a house so we could only be found if they got out & looked for us...but what if that was exactly what they did?

The sirens grew closer & Inuyasha began breathing faster. I glanced anxiously at Naraku who was simply standing there, staring at the keypad, stroking his chin.

"The hell are you doing?" I whispered harshly.

"If I disable it we might not be able to open the door"

"Do you think you know what kind of door it is?"

He shrugged. "Could be a vault door or bolted or just a normal door you use in your house but if this passcode keeps it locked then disabling won't benefit us"

We heard car doors close even though the sirens weren't quite here yet.

"Oh shit...ohhh fuckfuckfuckfuck..." Inuyasha began hypervenilating, "We're...w-we're gunna die..."

This was no time to panic. I was in charge of Inuyasha & I was not going to see him go down like a coward. Gathering my wits, I grabbed Inuyasha & placed my hands on both sides of his face, his eyes slightly glazed over but he was looking at me.

"Yasha listen to me"

"S-Sessh we're gunna..." he whispered as if in a daze.

"No, no, no, listen to me. I'm going to stop treating you like a child, alright? From this moment forward you are an adult & I can't sugarcoat things & hide things from you anymore, ok?"

He nodded slowly.

I inhaled deeply. "I am not going down without a fight. You better not either. If they take us we're not going down without giving them hell, do you understand me?"

He nodded again.

"I will not leave you" I whispered with conviction, making my grip on his face firm, "I will stay with you the entire time"

I hugged his head to my chest, turning the fear into anger, anger that fueled me with adrenaline & melted me into a defensive stance, Inuyasha wheezing against me. Naraku came to stand beside me, his demeanor cool but his eyes hard.

"& I will stay by your side for the fact that you are an honorable brother" he said smoothly.

I nodded my thanks, chest warm with the compliment & waited as a strong flashlight swept across the walls & ground. Sirens were still sounding off in the distance, now close enough to be uncomfortable to my ears. They must have brought a lot of back up to sweep the area for us.

_Let them come_

Three figures emerged from around the building & shined their flashlights in our faces. I heard Naraku growl & a current of wind brushed past me as he bolted forward then there was a gasp.

"Naraku what the hell are you doing?"

I blinked in confusion, holding up my hand to block out the light.

"Oh, sorry about that..."

The light fell & then Kagura, Miroku & Kagome stepped closer to me. I noticed Kagura had a slight red mark around her throat & Naraku came back, looking sheepish.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder &, seeing the women, pushed away from me, straightening. "Hey, wha-umm...what you guys doing here?"

"We got worried when Sesshomaru called Miroku" Kagome said, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

I absentmindedly noticed Naraku stepping up to the keypad again to work on hacking it once more.

"What's he doing?" Miroku asked, indicating towards the kumo with a jerk of his chin.

"Hacking the system" Kagura answered, "Since your hacker couldn't be here in time"

"Well, hell, you wouldn't rush over here either with the horde so close to the city" Miroku retorted, sticking out his tongue childishly.

"How close is the horde?" Inuyasha asked, his ears perking.

"They'll arrive tomorrow" Miroku said somberly, nothing like the confidence he had back on that night at the bar.

"Silence would be lovely" Naraku muttered.

"Let's just walk over to the cars so the princess can do his thing" Kagura said rolling her eyes.

"Thank you" her brother responded absentmindedly.

The group walked over to my car & a car that was park right behind it.

"Where'd you get it?" I directed the question at Kagura, motioning towards the second vehicle.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I have connections"

"She stole it" Miroku said simply, earning an elbow in the gut & grunting in discomfort.

Inuyasha & Kagome linked arms & began to amble down the street, talking quietly with their heads close together. I opened my mouth to tell him not to wander too far off but with the sirens blaring probably only a mile away I knew he had enough sense not to.

Kagura gave me a pointed look, her eyebrows raised & her eyes in narrow slits, arms crossed.

I frowned. "What?"

"You know what"

"I don't, that's why I questioned you"

"You can't be bothered to call me or anything? I was just a bootycall, something you can fuck, oh, excuse me, _finger _for your pleasure & then toss away?"

Miroku looked at me with his eyebrows almost near his hairline. "You two had sex?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "It didn't go that far"

He then directed his gaze at Kagura. "He fingered you?"

"He did" she said, nodding, still looking at me, "Quite well too"

I scoffed & looked away. "What do you want from me, Kagura?"

"I don't want shit from you! You act like you're so high & mighty all because you're such a fucking pretty boy-"

Miroku leaned back away from her & backed up while I snapped at her at the same time.

"You haven't even been around me long enough to know what the hell I act like so don't you dare try & figure me out!"

"You're just like every other guy that think they're the shit!"

"& you're just like every other bitch, trying to play the victim!"

We both glared murderously at each other & I noticed Inuyasha & Kagome jogging back towards up, looks of panic on their faces.

"The fuck is wrong with you two? You forgot the police is out looking for us?" Inuyasha whispered harshly, "Shut the _fuck up!"_

I held Kagura's gaze a while longer, feeling my jaw muscle sticking out, then looked at my little brother. "What time is it? Naraku should be done by now"

Inuyasha snatched out his phone & inhaled sharply. "We gatta go. Now. It's been ten minutes"

"Oh fuck..."

I darted behind the building to find Naraku staring intently at the keypad then he looked up at me.

"Let's take the gate" he said in a low voice.

"Yeah because it's been ten minutes"

"Oh for the love of..."

Quicker than I could follow Naraku grabbed my arm & pretty much dragged me to the car, threw Inuyasha & I in & glared at the others. "You guys don't have to go home but you gatta get the hell out of here"

"I'm coming" Kagura said with determination.

"Me too!" Kagome squealed.

Miroku made a gesture with his hands, indicating that he'd rather be left behind.

"No, Kagura! Hell no!" Naraku said, almost banging his fist on top of the car but thinking better, "Take your ass home!"

"Oh fuck you"

Kagura opened the back door & slid in, Kagome trying to trail in after her but she closed the door.

"Kagura!" the girl whined.

"It's too dangerous out here for you babe" Inuyasha murmured, leaning over Kagura's lap, "You'd be safer here"

I assumed the girl pouted but all I know was that she didn't say anything. I was too busy staring in the rearview mirror at the blue light approaching the vehicle, my heart racing.

I grabbed Naraku shirt & pulled him in the car.

"Sesshomaru, what the hell-"

"Start the car, let's get the fuck outta here!" I said urgently. I grimaced when everyone fell silent at my panicked voice.

The police car seemed to pause, then the siren blared & burned rubber as it came towards us.

"Oh fuck!" I heard Inuyasha yell from the back seat.

Naraku jammed the key in the ignition & took off like a bullet down the road, leaving Kagome & Miroku behind who ran to hide in the shadows.

I held on tightly to the door handle as Naraku hugged the curves closely, tipping the car up onto two wheels on several occassions. Inuyasha's wheezing was becoming distracting but I was too focused on the road; I was afraid to look away.

"Does anyone know where the fuck the front gate is?" Naraku growled so quickly it all sounded like one word.

"After the intersection of 41 & Broadway" Kagura said just as quickly.

I spared a quick glance at her over my shoulder to find fear riddled all over her face, breathing almost as hard as Inuyasha who was clutching his chest, eyes half-lidded as he head rolled around with the car's movements.

Naraku made a sharp right & I banged my knee on the gear shift painfully. I grimaced but didn't really notice. The police seemed to be gaining on us, its blue lights shining angrily & off in the distance I could hear a helicopter.

_Oh fuck_

"Make this left, make this left!" Kagura instructed quickly & Naraku took it without question.

He paused when we were faced with a small ally, snarling. "What the hell, Kagura?"

"It's a short cut! The car will fit!"

I got a good feeling it wouldn't but decided not to voice that. I quickly put on my seatbelt for fear of being launched through the windshield & braced myself against the cloth-covered seat, one hand gripping the hell out of the door handle & the other curled into a fist on my lap. I heard Kagura mutter something to Inuyasha who I was sure passed out. It was better that way; if he was about to watch us squeeze through this narrow ally he'd definitely be hyperventilating.

Naraku's foot stepped on the gas heavily & we shot towards the ally. I think I heard him yelling, something similar to, "Fuck the police!" & the car shimmied into the tight space, the only casuality being the side mirrors. I flinched as they were snatched off.

"Make this right!" Kagura screamed breathlessly & when we shot out of the ally Naraku made a sharp right to avoid a brick wall but the tail of the car smashed into it. After a stall the car kicked back into gear though & we were off again.

"Are they still on us?" Naraku asked, face marred in deep concentration.

There was a pause as Kagura turned around quickly & she sighed. "No. We lost them"

Everyone visibly relaxed at the moment & Naraku's foot eased off the gas pedal a bit though we were still doing 70 on a domestic road. I unclenched my hands, finding the joints were almost locked from holding on so dearly.

I noticed Naraku spare me a quick glance. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, swallowing. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine"

"Yeah, I'm fine too, thanks for asking assholes" Kagura growled irritably.

Naraku smirked. "Good to hear. Which roads leads to the gate?"

"Take the second left & then keep going until you see the stop sign then it'll be the next right"

He nodded & silence fell in the car. My airways opened up some & I was able to breathe better. The smell of burnt tires from Naraku's insane driving filled my nose & bothered my sinuses so I cracked my window, grateful for the clear, cool night. It made me remember the nights near the end of November when Inuyasha & I would lay out on the lawn or on top of our cars & stare at the stars & the night would be so chilly our skin would be numb by the time we came inside, somewhere around 3 in the morning. Tonight the stars were out & it made me long for that time.

"What's the plan once we make it out of the gates?" Naraku asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"Go to the nearest gated city" I responded simply.

"But what's the nearest gated city?"

I just realized that Inuyasha & I never came to that conclusion & I ran my hand tiredly over my face. "I have no idea"

"You've got us running out of this city for nothing?" Kagura shouted.

"It is _not _for nothing! We're running for a damn good reason! It's just...I didn't do enough research about it"

"Saitama" Naraku said simply.

"What?" Kagura & I said at the same time.

"Saitama is a gated city but I'm not sure if there's anything closer"

"Well how far is it?" Kagura asked.

He sighed. "Almost a five hour drive"

There was a mixture of a sigh, growl & a swear that fell from my lips as Kagura's eyes widened considerablly.

"Well you think there are gas stations outside the walls? I mean there are a couple that are run by machines & instead of you having to get out of your car & pumping, they do it for you"

Naraku sighed, slowing a little as he approached the stop sign. "They're far & between. I haven't even heard of any in the immediate area. Only one I've heard of is one in Russia"

There was a moment of silence again as all three of our minds were submerged in thought, trying to plan out where we should go, what we should do. It went without saying that we couldn't stay here. That only left us with the choice of getting the hell out or being caught & _thrown _out. But we couldn't possibly make it to Saitama if we don't find a gas station & it was too dangerous to risk the trip anyway.

"You think we'll beat the horde?" Kagura asked quietly.

No one answered. I'm not sure if it was because we were too occupied with our thoughts or we didn't want to lie & say yes but didn't want to be pessimistic & say no. Judging by the position the stars were in it was a few hours from dawn, maybe about two or three & Miroku said the horde should be approaching by tomorrow though he didn't say approximately what time. I preferred to believe they weren't going to arrive until tomorrow night which would give us plenty of room but by the look he'd given us when he announced that it was likely they'd arrive a lot sooner.

As Naraku rounded the corner & we were faced with the wall our jaws dropped & Naraku firmly set his foot against the brake.

"Oh...God" he whispered.

Stretching out in front of the entire wall & blocking the gate were numerous S.W.A.T. trucks & SUV's & a helicopter hovering over the wall. My throat closed as anger, frustration & fear nearly shut my airway. What the hell are we going to do now? There's no way in hell I was going to let them get to Inuyasha. They'd have to put me down with tranquilizers intended for horses & they'd have to use many.

A man in a S.W.A.T uniform, complete with a helmet & fiberglass shield, stepped forward, a megaphone held up to his mouth. "Sesshomaru we know you're in there & we know your brother is in there too. If you both & whoever else is in the car get out with you hands up very slowly I can assure you no one will be hurt"

"Stay. Put" Naraku whispered, his lips barely moving & eyes forward.

"Naraku that'll just make it wors-" Kagura started, the pitch of her voice higher than usual.

"Don't you even move" he interjected & she obeyed.

"Sesshomaru" he continued.

I looked over at him without turning my head.

"Do you have a weapon on you at the moment?"

I swallowed before whispering, "I don't"

He nodded very slowly. "Ok...alright"

The officer shifted & raised the megaphone again. "It will be so much easier if you just surrender. Failing to cooperate will only result in someone getting hurt & property damage & we don't need that nor do you want it so just come out with your hands up very slowly & we can put this behind us"

"Naraku..." Kagura whispered softly.

"Kagura if we surrender they will kill us!" Naraku snapped, still whispering, "Don't you understand that? They will either execute us by firing squad or hold us prisoner until the horde comes, & you can bet your ass they will make your wait as unpleasant as possible without killing you & when the horde gets here they're going to throw every single last one of us to them & then wipe their fucking hands off & go about their day"

I started thinking about just how unpleasant they'd make our lives while waiting for the horde but shook my head & tried to form a plan.

"How do you know they'll do that?" his sister continued whispering, looking around, "You know it'll only get worse if we don't get out the car & just surrender"

"Kagura I was part of this same damn S.W.A.T team if you've forgotten. This is not the first time they tracked down a criminal & told them to surrender. Every single time they surrendered we executed them with a shot to the leg & let the infection kill them or lethal injection if it had to be public"

I looked at Naraku sharply when he mentioned being on the S.W.A.T. team. "You were?"

He sighed & let his hands slide off the steering wheel. "Yes. I was part of the S.W.A.T. team for about six or seven years so I know surrendering is not going to be all lovely & peaceful like he's making it out to be"

He placed his face in his hands for a moment before he sat back & sighed again. "& I knew the government was going to put out the virus a year before they even announced it"

"What?"

I really did not know how to correctly react to that bit of information but I was definitely not happy about it. "Did you put it out there yourself?" I asked.

"No, no" he responded, shaking his head, "The Center for Disease Control in America came up with the idea, contacted the CIA & they issued out lab rats to try for a cure. I don't know everything that went into the cure. They injected the rats with cancer cells & then injected the cure a few days later. It seemed to work but apparently they didn't wait to see the effect it had so they went on & reported that they had discovered the cure. Before the CIA could confirm that they could go along with the announcement, my wife decided to be a test subject to see how it would affect a person"

Here he ran a shaking hand over his mouth, taking deep breathes as he tried to get a hold of the emotion I could see so plainly on his face. A few minutes passed before he could speak again.

"At first she was fine. The cancer cells they injected in her made her feel a bit tired & made some of her hair fall out but once they injected the cure in her she was feeling better than ever. She had so much more energy & her metabolism sped up, helping her lose the weight she'd been trying to get off after the holidays"

He chuckled & unshed tears shimmered in his eyes. My heart ached for him.

"The CDC made their announcement & they were swamped with people trying to recieve the cure. It was hard to believe just how much cancer affected so many people's lives. My wife started to come down off of her energetic high & became very mellow, which didn't even bother me. & then she got sick. It was like she had the flu. I would try to give her medicine but she'd only throw it up; she did the same with food as well & she...she just withered away...right there in front of me. She was too weak to even wrap her arm around my neck when I carried her to the car & came here so she could enjoy being out the house c-cause I knew she was about to...t-to..."

His voice broke & I automatically reached forward & squeezed his shoulder reassurangly.

"She died in my arms three nights later. I was so lost, so broken, I couldn't bring myself to bury her. & then one day, when I'd come back from job hunting I found her tearing into a pack of chicken I'd taken out to thaw for dinner that night but then she saw me...her eyes were...so crazy &...wild, I was frozen. It was the first time I felt fear. I mean like mind-numbing, paralyzing fear that made the little hairs all over your body stand on end"

"I'm going to ask you again..." the officer said over the megaphone. We ignored him.

"I couldn't bring myself to kill her" he whispered, shaking his head slowly, "Even while she was trying to bite me I just couldn't. The chief was my neighbor then & he saw me trying to haul her to the car. He helped me & then drove to the front gate while I was struggling to hold her down. I couldn't stop shaking, I was so...was so..._afraid._ Afraid was even an understatement. I don't even know how he got her out of my arms & managed to toss her out of the gate but he did & when he came back to the car he looked at me with this pathetic sympathy just all on his face & asked me if I needed a job. I...I needed something to get my mind off of what had just happened, he said"

We all said in dead silence, Kagura's hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, Naraku leaning against his seat, watery eyes staring down at his large hands which were in his lap & me with my hand still on his shoulder. How do you help someone cope with that kind of loss? Where do you even begin? That was something so serious & tramatic I was surprised he hadn't sunk into a depression. But when I thought about all the energy he put in at the firestation, how it seemed like he went above & beyond. It made sense now.

"Naraku...I'm so sorry" I managed to whisper.

He nodded to himself & raised his head to watch the officer slowly backing away from us then he shocked me by smirking. "They're going to shoot at us"

My heart went from aching for his loss to beating like a humming bird's wings in record time. "What are we going to do?"

Naraku rolled his shoulders & flexed his hands on the steering wheel, not seeming to notice the lone tear that made its slow desent down his right cheek. "We're getting the hell out of here"


	8. Chapter 8

My eyes widened as the officer raised an arm & all of the surrounding offers raised their guns & pointed it directly at us. I hadn't even noticed I was breathing hard, my lungs feeling like there was a heavy weight pulling it down, until Naraku glanced at me.

"You trust me, don't you?" he asked quietly.

I stared at him for a while; I already knew my eyes were big with uncertainty but eventually I nodded slowly. "Yes...I trust you" I whispered.

"Naraku..." Kagura started, her voice rising at the last syllable, panic keeping her vocal chords tight.

"It's fine Kagura" Naraku said, his eyes still on me, "Put Inuyasha's & your own seatbelts on, get down as much as you can & protect Inuyasha's head"

"B-but...w-w-wha...Naraku, I'm scared..."

"I know. I know. Just get down"

I'd never heard Naraku speaking this calmly, nor have I ever seen him with such a tender look in his eyes...like he knew something bad was about to happen but he'd already accepted it. Strangely, that calmed my heart down & my shoulders relaxed even though I knew my eyes were still wide & curious. I had no idea what he was about to do but I had a feeling I was really not going to like it.

He blinked & took a deep breath, a very slight smirk gracing his lips. "Are you ready?"

Just as I inhaled he slammed his foot on the gas & we rocketed forward. It felt like I'd left my heart behind; it thudded slowly & strong against the back of my ribcage as I started to breathe so fast I was becoming light headed.

"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly, my eyes on the S.W.A.T. team & their SUV's. At first they stood there with unbelieving open-mouthed stares & then they began firing & I flinched as the bullets hit the car.

"You said you trusted me" Naraku said in a low voice.

"That doesn't mean whatever you have planned is not going to scare the shit out of me!"

He glanced over at me quickly, acceptance taken over by determination in his features. "I wouldn't let you get hurt, Sesshomaru"

Did I hear that right? I could've sworn he said...but if he said that then that means...what _does _that mean? I felt an uncomfortable fluttering in the pit of my stomach as I realized just how tender that sentence sounded, like I...like I was important to him or something. But I actually was too afraid to answer these questions that kept circling in my mind; I simply stared at him with my mouth open. Who was Naraku? What were his intentions?

It seemed like everything just slowed down: shots _zing_'ed off the hood of the car & cracked the windshield. I cringed when I noticed a bullet had pierced through the thick glass near the top. Naraku's body tensed as he prepared to make impact with the SUV's. A thought zipped through my mind about how the hell did he plan to break through the gates but I lost that train of thought as Naraku seemed to reach out in slow motion & pushed my head down into his lap, yelling something that I couldn't hear. It sounded like he was talking while we were both underwater.

Since I couldn't see what was going on I had no idea how close we were from hitting the line of SUV's, much less the gate & the hairs on my body raised as I tried to see through my mind's eyes. We'd be hitting any moment now...just a few more seconds...wait for it...I felt my heart hitch & my breathing stop for a moment as I anticipated the impact but nothing happened. Then dread slid its cold fingers down my spine: I didn't have my seatbelt o-

There were bright lights, disorientation & sharp pain in my right arm before my body jerked forward but an arm wrapped across my shoulder & chest securely & I heard a grunt. I was surprised I heard the grunt, considering all the other defeaning noises that invaded the car. The gear shift dug uncomfortablly in my stomach as I jerked forward repeatedly until I was crying out in pain. What the hell was going on? I tried to sit up but Naraku's strong arm held me down though he pulled me closer to him.

There a moment when everything quieted & I heard Naraku make a strange noise, like a soft grunt in the back of his throat but when I tried to sit up he held me down.

"Naraku...what's going-" I started

"Just stay down" Naraku interrupted & the car took off again.

A few shots from the guards on top of the wall pinged off the car but most missed. Naraku began to mutter under his breath & from the way it sounded like he was gritting his teeth, I concluded he was angry about something. I tilted my head up & saw the night sky begining to pinken through the windshield, the stars twinkling faintly. For some reason, seeing the stars blink out felt like a goodbye, like I wasn't going to see them again. Does that mean I was going to die? I didn't have that feeling (not yet) but I did take that as a sign-

The car bashed into something & a dark shape flew over the top of the car. I jumped, feeling a weird sort of panic. I could hear Kagura gasp as well & she began shifting around.

"Naraku, what the hel-oh...shit!" she shouted.

I sat up too fast for him to catch me & I stared out the windshield before my mouth fell open. The horde had now offically arrived. There had to be thousands of them, stumbling slowly towards the gates, some of their legs & arms broken, flesh hanging [quite literally] off of their bodies & some even had open wounds on their faces, their strange yellow eyes regarding the car lazily. I was so shamed to admit even to myself how afraid I'd become now. I was literally trembling, my restless hands rising to cover my mouth in horror. I wanted to scream. Where do we go from here?

Kagura gripped Naraku's shirt & he flinched, his foot still lying heavily on the gas pedal. With every zombie that we hit my eyes travelled to the cracks in the windshield & I was starting to become nervous as some of them stretched.

"Naraku you might want to try _not _hitting them" I said in a low voice, trying to hide the tremble, "The cracks..."

He swerved around a few, still hitting them but since it wasn't head-on they didn't hit the windshield.

"Oh what the fu-Sessh! _Sessh!"_

Everyone jumped at least three inches in their seat as Inuyasha woke up & began to shriek like a banshee. I turned quickly, afraid to find a zombie grabbing him but he was staring out the window, his eyes the biggest I'd ever seen, gripping Kagura's arm in a death grip & jumping everytime we hit a zombie.

"Yasha, it's alright-" I stopped when my voice trembled & shook & I swallowed as he looked at me, fear written so clearly across his face. That was the most crushing look he could ever give me, considering I was supposed to be protecting him. Of course now he wasn't in immediate danger but in his mind he was only a thin peice of glass away from a horrible, excruciating death.

He reached for me like he was a child & I grabbed him, holding his head to my chest while I kissed the top of his head.

"Sessh I'm so fucking scared"

"I know" I whispered, "We all are"

There was a tap on my shoulder & I looked up to find Kagura looking at me with a gentle expression. She jerked her chin towards my seat & I nodded, sliding into the back seat while she climbed over me to get to the front seat & Inuyasha hugged me to him, his face buried so deep into my chest it was a little uncomfortable.

I hummed Inuyasha's favorite lullabye to him while the thuds & bumps from hitting zombies continued for a good hour, running my hand over his hair gently. His trembling stopped after the first five minutes & his breathing evened out five minutes after that. Kagura turned & gave him sympathetic looks every once in a while, smiling a little to herself. It made me wonder what she was thinking about. I'd never seen her face in such a relaxed state.

I guess we'd gotten used to hitting the zombies. At one point Kagura & Naraku began to make a game out of it, Kagura challenging Naraku to swerve around several zombies to hit one & they laughed when he failed, cheering the few times he succeeded. The horde was begining to clear up; I couldn't believe how many of them there were. It made me wonder how the hell all of them knew to come here.

At one point, Kagura looked over at her brother & gasped. "Oh my God, Naraku, your shoulder is bleeding!"

I leaned around the driver's seat to get a better look & sure enough, there was blood dripping from a small hole in his shoulder.

"You've been shot" I stated unecessarily but I couldn't believe it.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Kagura snapped

I saw one of his eyebrows raise in the rearview mirror & he glanced down at his shoulder. "I did feel a little pain there, kind of like I had been stung by a bunch of wasps or something but I didn't really pay attention to it"

Kagura fretted, her hands fluttering over the wound as she rolled his sleeve up to get a good look at it. She hissed. "It's deep. It's going to be a pain to get out"

"Don't take it out right now" Naraku said quickly, gripping the steering wheel.

"I'm not"

I noticed that now there were only a few isolated zombies around but there was also a seemingly endless stretch of desert ahead of us.

"Do you know where we are?" I questioned Naraku.

"I know the general direction. With luck on our side we'll just wind up in front of some gated city"

"Naraku we don't have a full tank of gas, you know"

Automatically all of our eyes (minus Inuyasha's, since he was asleep) fell to the gas tank guage & sighed a little in relief. It was only on the three fourths mark; it wasn't on F but it was good enough.

"Hopefully we can swing by a gas station" Kagura grumbled, "I'm hungry"

"There are sandwiches in the trunk" I said helpfully.

"I am _not _getting out of this car to get to the trunk & get a damn sandwich"

"You could always climb out on top of the car & hope to God I don't swerve & cause you to fall off" Naraku said, the side of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"Oh fuck you"

I chuckled quietly & leaned back against my seat.

After a long stretch of silence (minus Kagura & Naraku's occassional bickering), I grew bored with the scenery & my mind began to wander. A few thoughts flew through my mind about what the hell were we going to do now. That was a simple answer: get to the nearest gated city, hope they haven't heard about Inuyasha's shenanigans & stay there as long as possible. But the last part of that thought made it sound like I was anticipating packing up & moving on fairly soon after we arrived & my thoughts began to rush by so quickly, I couldn't catch on to anything. God knew the next gated city was forty eight miles away but there was no telling how far the _next one _after that would be. I shrugged it off; that's a bridge we can cross when we get to it I guess.

Once the zombies stopped appearing it had to be noon (the clock on the dashboard read 8:13pm so it was unreliable). Kagura convinced Naraku to pull over so she could look at the gunshot wound. Inuyasha had woken up & though he was still a little shaken, he was almost recovered, looking around cautiously before daring to take a step out of the vehicle. I grabbed some napkins & some rubbing alcohol I found in the glove compartment & handed it to Kagura. She glanced at Naraku warily as he leaned against the badly damaged hood of the car.

"This is going to hurt" she warned.

He nodded, bracing himself. "Go on"

The moment the napkin-soaked alcohol touched the edge of the bullet wound he tensed & hissed, top lip curling back. Kagura hesitated but then continued quickly & I flinched when she dove her finger into the wound, searching for the bullet. Naraku cried out & growled, his hands clenched into fists so tight, blood began to seep from his palms.

"Almost got it..." the vixen whispered, biting her bottom lip in concentration. She looked so beautiful doing it, I found myself anxious for the moment I could get her alone & pick up where we left off.

"Oh fucking hell, Kagura!" Naraku snarled.

"I almost got it, I can feel it. Stop bitching" she muttered, closing her eyes & frowning.

I saw where her finger curled & began to pull back & Naraku threw his head back & roared before something dark popped out of the hole, bounced off the hood with a metalic _thunk _& fell to the ground.

"There, all better, you big baby" Kagura said & cleaned up the wound while Naraku glared at her, flinching & hissing when the alcohol got too close to the wound.

I relaxed against a boulder, my legs crossed at the ankles. The sun was hot & beating down on us like a slave master, which was weird considering it had to still be fall. Maybe global warming wasn't bullshit after all.

Kagura approached me, looking at me expectantly.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Let me see your arm"

"Why?"

She nodded at it & I glanced down to find a glash on my bicep that wasn't too deep but needed to be treated to prevent infection.

_'So that was the pain I felt right before we left the gates...'_

I sighed & held it out for her & she swabbed it, causing me to flinch.

"Shit..."

She grinned, her eyes on her work. "You men are such big babies. The bullet just grazed it"

"How about I cut you & put alcohol on it?" I murmured.

"Don't even try it, rookie" Naraku growled as he passed us to go behind a little mountain of rocks off the the side. Kagura & I chuckled; who knew Naraku would be the overly protective brother?

"I found myself wondering...how our relationship would be had this outbreak not happened" she said quietly, ripping her shirt tail to wrap around my arm.

I frowned. "Relationship?"

"How far would we had gone? Would you make me yours?"

She looked up at me as if she expected an answer. I felt a bit like I was being put on the spot. "Kagura..."

"How do you even feel about me?"

I blinked. "I...I don't know. You're beautiful, Kagura, it's just a relationship is really not on my mind at the moment"

"Had this not happened & we weren't running for our lives, what about then?"

What was with her & these questions? "I don't know, Kagura"

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, crossing her arms. "You said a relationship is not on your mind but what about friends with benefits?"

I smirked without even thinking & she smiled as well; we came to an unspoken agreement.

"No strings attached, no feelings. Just sex" she said simply.

I couldn't help the wolfish smile that stretched my lips. "Was the last time so good you want the whole thing?"

"Watch yourself" Naraku growled, walking by again & Kagura burst out laughing.

"Naraku mind your business!" she said, chucking a rock at him playfully.

He side-stepped it without even turning around.

"What do you really want from me?" I asked her.

She looked at me a long time, her eyes traveling all over my face & down to her hands, before she answered me. "I've always wanted to have this awesome guy to get married to & he'd throw me this huge wedding & I'd have the most beautiful dress & everything. I wanted him to pamper me & call me his queen & tell me he'd never leave me. But at a certain point in my life I realized I'm better off not being in a relationship & that maybe I should try just casual sex. I figured...you were the perfect guy for that"

"Why? Because I put you in your place?"

"Because you're the only one that has put up me for this long!" she snapped, re-crossing her arms.

I sighed. I was never really the one to deal with these female emotions. All my ex-girlfriends knew I wasn't going to be the one to fawn over them when they had their little mood swings during their times of the months; that's what their gay guy friends were there for. Their emotional distress made me uncomfortable, like I was supposed to hug them & tell them I'd always be there when I knew that was highly unlikely. Not that I couldn't be commited but they'd always do something to cause me to push them out of my life.

Kagura sighed & rubbed her forehead. "Let's just...leave out all the emotional bullshit, yeah? We don't need that headache"

She turned & walked back to the car slowly, her hands on her hips. I was still a bit confused, like she hadn't answered the question. Why the hell does it have to be me? All women that said they just wanted sex with no strings attached would eventually add some strings into the mix & then things would get so complicated. Lord knows I didn't need complications right now.

I sighed & walked over to the car to pop the trunk & pulled out a bottle of water & a sandwich. It wasn't great but it was something to keep the edge off of my stomach. I noticed Inuyasha hunched over, sitting in the car with his door open.

"Hey" I said, jerking my chin up, "What are you doing?"

He looked up from his lap, still chewing, a bit of mayo on the corner of his mouth. "Nuffin'. Eatin' & thinkin'. Wha' 'bout you?"

I shrugged one shoulder, smirking. "About the same. Nice weather, eh?"

It was his turn to shrug. "It's 'ight. Ain't like it makes me wanna run through a field of wild flowers-" he stopped to swallow, " & run in slow motion to Kagome or anything"

I chuckled. "You're sweet on that girl, huh?"

He looked down bashfully, smiling. "Yeah she's great. I miss her..."

I reached forward & ruffled his hair before finishing my sandwich & bottle of water. "She's probably missing you too kid"

"Hey, I ain't no kid!"

I looked over to see Naraku walking back towards me, his hand raised to shade his eyes. "So where to now?"

"I think it'd be wise to find some weapons" Kagura interjected, coming from around the front of the car.

"There ain't no more zombies around are there?" Inuyasha asked nervously.

"No but we could quite possibly run into some more & we currently don't have any means of protecting ourselves with long range weapons" she replied.

"That's going a little out of our way, Kagura..." Naraku muttered.

"It is not. It could potientially save our lives"

"What's wrong with hand to hand combat?" I asked.

"That's too close for comfort. If one of us gets bitten..."

"But what if we're careful not to be bitten?"

"It could still happen!" she snapped, annoyed.

"Long range attacking is best but the sounds draws more zombies" Naraku said.

"Unless we have crossbows" Inuyasha spoke up.

"Like we'll find that anywhere around here" Kagura said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey we did find rubbing alcohol in the glove compartment! Who keeps that shit in there?" Inuyasha snapped back, frowning.

"Alright, alight" Naraku said, making hand motions to calm them down, "We'll keep an eye out for a cross bow"

He looked over his shoulder to see the sun was at an angle; we'd been here long enough. There was no telling how far we had to go before we could find a safe place to sleep before nightfall.

"Do we have to sleep in the car?" Inuyasha whined.

"Let's hope not, you're snoring will bring all the zombies to the yard" I murmured & Naraku chuckled.

"Your snoring brings all the dead to the yard & we're like get out the car, damn right, get out the car. We'd protect you but we have to reload" he sang & Kagura started dancing, clapping her hands in rythmn while Inuyasha shot them murderous glares & I laughed.

"You guys are assholes!" my brother snapped, "That shit is not even funny, especially since it didn't rhyme!"

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Naraku stopped the car & we stared at the house in front of us warily, wanting to go in & just sleep but afraid at the same time. It had to be somewhere around one in the morning & the cold had really seeped in, making us wish we had jackets or something to keep us warm. Inuyasha shivered beside me, barely awake but even he could feel the tension as we sat in front of the two story house. Because of the damage to the front of the car from Naraku ramming into those S.W.A.T. SUV's & the gate doors, the headlights were shot but the moon was bright enough to lend sufficient light. Still, the shadows it threw around kept us on edge.

"I bet there are blankets in there...& warm beds" Kagura whispered dreamily.

"There's probably still some zombies in there lurking around as well, just like in the horror movies" Naraku said just as softly.

"Oh fuck you dude" Inuyasha grumbled, curling himself tighter as a violent shudder ran through his body.

"I'm sure we'll find weapons in there though" I spoke up, putting my hand on the door handle, "Let's have a look"

We all got out slowly, leaving the doors cracked so the sound of them slamming shut didn't attract attention (even though we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere). Inuyasha was close behind me, Naraku walking to my right & Kagura slightly behind him.

When we reached the door Naraku rung the doorbell.

"You're so lame" Kagura said, rolling her eyes.

"Well maybe someone's living here" her brother said, "It'd be rude to just barge in"

We listened for a moment before he knocked hard on the red wood door, the sound echoing. Our breathing was so slow it was almost as if we weren't breathing at all & after a few minutes of no response, Kagura swallowed, the action so noisy it made Inuyasha jump.

"Try the door" she whispered.

Naraku pushed the latch down, nudging the door open hesitantly & it creaked open. It was dark & musty-smelling on the inside, as if it hadn't been lived in for a while. There was also a strong smell that made my nose wrinkle but I couldn't put my finger on what it smelled like. It just smelled awful. Naraku stepped in first, followed closely by Kagura & then I stepped in after her with Inuyasha now gripping my shirt tail.

The room we'd walked into was a living room with beige carpet, complete with a large flat-screen TV, an L-shaped brown leather couch & a marble coffee table in the middle. Whoever had been here last left a plate of food on the coffee table, which was so molded over I couldn't tell what it was. From there, we walked into an open kitchen with a little window-like ledge that faced the living room.

"I'll look in here for a knife or something" Kagura whispered softly. I felt her step off to the side & I walked forward to lightly hold on to Naraku's shirt.

There was a soft clicking & we all stopped walking.

"The lights are out" Kagura reported.

"Go figure" Naraku's deep voice rumbled, "There's probably no one to run the electric company anymore"

"How do the cities get it then?" Inuyasha asked just as I was about to.

"Large generators. The cities have several in stock & each lasts almost two years"

We began walking again & from the way the hair on my arms raised slightly we were in a more closed area, most likely a hallway. My eyes had gotten used to the darkness now; I could see Naraku running his hand along the wall, searching. When he came to a doorknob he stopped, turning his head towards it.

"Do you really want to risk going in there?" I whispered to him.

"Most people keep their guns in their bedroom closet; we might find one in here" he responded.

"Hey, I can use my flashlight app on my phone" Inuyasha suggested & after a moment Naraku nodded & held his arm out for it. My ex-boss turned the phone on, scrolled through the apps & pressed the ultra-bright flashlight app & the high squeal that indicated it was starting up sounded before the screen turned into a blindingly white light, causing Naraku to grimace & turn it towards the doorknob. He turned the silver knob slowly & stepped in the room.

"Wait here" he whispered to me & I nodded though I felt like a sitting duck out here.

Inuyasha's shaky breathing brushed against my arm everytime he exhaled, minus the few times he looked over his shoulder, & though at first it kept me on edge, I got used to it & eventually ignored it. Whatever Naraku was doing, he was doing it silently & I began to worry a little. I'd seen too many movies where the main characters went into a dark, abandoned house & there was something there, just waiting to jump out at them & scare them shitle-

"Oh _shit!"_

Inuyasha grabbed my arm roughly & darted up the hallway a bit, dragging me along with him. It'd happened so fast I didn't even feel the initial panic but after a minute I felt my heart in my throat & turned suddenly to where we'd been standing, where Kagura was looking at us, one of her eyebrows raised.

"Shit, Kagura!" Inuyasha snapped, "Don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Scared much?" she asked sarcastically, then without waiting for a reply, "Where's Naraku?"

I swallowed around the lump that was begining to dissolve in my throat & nodded towards the door Naraku had disappeared past & she frowned.

"It's so quiet in the-"

At that moment Naraku walked quickly out of the room, startling us.

"W-what did you find?" Kagura asked, her hand over her heart & she took deep, steady breaths.

He shook his head once, not looking at her. "Nothing. Let's look for more weapons or something else useful"

Something about his shifting eyes & the way he kept running his large hand over his face made me wary. Not necessarily did it make me distrust him but I knew he wasn't telling us something. We fell back in a line, Naraku in front, Inuyasha bringing up the rear & the flashlight app still running. There was another room on the opposite wall that Naraku only glanced in before continuing on after shutting the door.

"Aren't you going to look in there too?" Inuyasha asked softly.

Naraku shook his head, continuing on. No one wanted to get left behind in the darkness so I snuck a quick peek, noticing it was a nursery, before catching up to Kagura. The hallway curved to the left & led into something that was either a den or another open room. There was a love seat, another large flatscreen TV & a mini-bar off to the right.

"Ooh, I wonder does it have alcohol?" Inuyasha wondered cheerily.

"Even if the world has gone to shit you're still too young" I muttered & he groaned irritably.

Naraku walked slowly to the other side of the loveseat & groaned, covering his nose & turning around.

"What is it?" Kagura asked, her body jerking like she was about to walk over to him but decided not to at the last minute.

"Dead body. Just stay over there" the man muttered, shaking his head sadly.

He walked over to the opposite wall & slowly opened what I figured was a closet. Something came tumbling out & lunged at Naraku, snarling & growling. Because he was holding the light & currently flailing to avoid the zombie it was hard to see where the creature was so helping was not an option. A strange noise left Inuyasha's mouth & the grip he had on my shirt went to my arm & squeezed it almost painfully. Kagura backed up until her back was against the wall, her hand held firmly against her mouth & her eyes huge. My heart rate escalated until it felt like I was about to have a heart attack. I absentmindedly wondered if the body on the couch had been bitten by the zombie.

Naraku skipped out of the zombie's reach before slamming its body on the bar, which stunned it long enough for him to grab something long in front of the bar & repeatedly hit the creature until it stopped moving. There was a long pause as everyone panted in relief, half expecting the zombie to come back alive. Naraku ambled back over to us, his face bloody but thankfully, not with his blood.

"Let's get out of here" he whispered, gripping the weapon he'd just used & we all agreed, practically running out of the house, not caring that we hadn't found anything else useful.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm a pretty patient person so this is by no means intended to be mean but if you ask me stupid questions in a review that I very clearly stated the answer to in earlier chapters, I'm going to get a little peeved. If you do not understand the difference between asthma & panic attacks then you need to Google it. I don't feel the need to explain why Inuyasha has PANIC ATTACKS [which I have pointed out on several occassions through out the story]. Some people are just like that. I wrote this story in Sesshomaru's point of view so that readers would feel like they were there or at least imagine themselves in that situation so if you feel that Inuyasha is acting like a child because he has a panic attacks everytime something seems impossible then you're either not paying attention or I'm not doing a good enough job as an author & I REFUSE to believe that I'm not doing a good enough job because I bust my ass on these chapters [though I'm not saying I can't improve or that I don't need constructive critism]. /rant**

*Takes a deep breath* Woo sah...ok...so I wasn't going to post this for another couple of days but PhoenixDiamond [favorite author] requested I update quickly so here goes! This chapter is probably my most emotionally charged chapter out of all of my stories. There's also a scene in here that maybe not everyone wants to read because it can be a bit tramatizing to some so I posted a warning before I got into it. I appreciate reviews & constructive criticism! Enjoy the story =]

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We slept in the car, cramped & uncomfortable but feeling a bit safer. Naraku had driven us to this overhang that kind of resembled a cave but it was too cold to sleep outside the car. Inuyasha curled up tightly by my side & I wrapped my arms around him to keep him warm. Naraku gave Kagura his shirt to keep her warm & reclined back in his seat, arms crossed. Before I dozed off I noticed he had large goosebumps on his arms & he was shivering.

Even though I felt like I had just closed my eyes, the next thing I knew, I heard movement & it was bright outside the little cave. Naraku sat up & stretched, popping his neck, while Kagura yawned & tried to rub the cold off of her arms. Inuyasha had begun to snore softly, a lock of my hair clenched in his fists.

"'Morning" Naraku mumbled, his voice a rough, rumbling baritone.

Kagura muttered something & I nodded at his reflection in the rearview mirror. "Hey"

After a few more minutes of full body stretching (which we got out of the car to do), yawning & slowly rousing, Naraku erected his seat & started the car.

"Where to now?" he asked.

"There's a subdivision not far from here" Kagura said, running her fingers through her dark hair.

"Why didn't you say that this morning?" Naraku asked, frowning & looking at her.

"I couldn't tell where we were! But now that the sun is up I know where we are & I know how to get there"

Since the government pulled up most of the roads outside the gates, minus the highways & freeways, I could understand why she didn't recognize anything. Just about everything outside the walls either was torn down, knocked over from the weather, overgrown or stripped anyway. I was fairly certain I wouldn't know my way home from here, it was so unfamiliar.

While Kagura gave Naraku directions I gently shook Inuyasha awake & he grunted, burying his face further in the seat.

"No...I'm sick...no school..."

I smirked. "Yasha, wake up, you don't have to go to school"

His breath evened out for a moment before he replied, "Holiday?"

I chuckled. "Yes, it's a holiday"

I was fairly certain he slept for another minute or two before he sat up, squinting & frowning in the sunlight. "Where are we going?"

"Kagura knows of a subdivision around here"

He sat up then, his widening. "We're going to look in more houses?"

I could hear the fear in his voice & I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright. It won't be nearly as scary since it's daylight, you'll see"

He didn't relax as much as I was hoping he would; he just simply looked out the window, his hands balled into loose fists as I watched his uncertain expression in the reflection of the window.

"It's the next right" Kagura said & I turned to look at the upcoming subdivision. As we turned into it Naraku whistled lowly.

"Man...there are some nice houses" he commented, "I wouldn't be surprised if each of them had a bomb shelter with a movie theater & a soda fountain in it"

We crawled through the maze of dusty looking houses, the porches rotting & crumbling, cars sunken in the dirt so far, you couldn't see the tires. We eventually ended up at a cul de sac & Naraku shut the engine off. We sat in silence for a minute or two, the only noise being our breathing before he turned around to look at me.

"I brought a crowbar from that last house. Cover my back?"

I nodded & we both got out, Kagura & Inuyasha scrambling out to stay close. We chose the closest house, a two story red brick house with an expansive lawn that was probably really nice at one point but was now over-grown with weeds. Naraku walked up to the front door &, remembering his manners rang the doorbell. Kagura sighed irritably but he only looked at her & shrugged.

"Habit" he muttered.

He nudged the door open & I flexed my fingers around the crowbar, stepping in silently after him. The room we walked in had high cielings & many pictures of abstract art & drawings on the walls. This house had apparently been abandoned a long time, judging from the thick layer of dust on the couches & even the floor. The smell of rotting flesh hit me hard, causing my eyes to water & a dull ache between my eyes. I don't think I'll ever get used to this smell for as long as I live.

Naraku turned to look over his shoulder a little. "Kagura, Inuyasha, you two stay here. Me & Sesshomaru will go upstairs to try & find a gun or something else useful"

"Be careful" his sister whispered.

"Grab a blanket too while you two are at it" Inuyasha replied.

I grinned at him & nodded then Naraku & I walked slowly up the set of stairs against the left side of the wall. The stairs creaked under our weight, causing us to pause (just to be sure we were ones making the noise). Halfway up, we heard a very low thump every once in a while, as if someone was hitting the wall with a pillow.

Naraku looked at me & I nodded, letting him know I heard it too. He took a slow deep breath & we walked the rest of the way up the stairs, Naraku peeking around the corner once we got to the top.

"I think it's the room at the very end of the hall" he whispered to me & I came to stand beside him & leaned over to get a good look.

The door at the very end of the hallway was cracked open a bit, just enough so that the light from outside squeezed its way through. The sound was definitely coming from that room; the other two rooms, both on opposite sides of the hall from each other, had the doors wide open & nothing could be seen in them except some blood, what was possibly a dead body covered in comforters & overturned furniture.

"We should look in these open rooms before going to that one" I whispered. I wasn't going to admit that I wanted to stall because I had a feeling whatever was making that noise was going to be very unpleasant.

Thankfully though he nodded & each of us rummaged through the rooms seperately. Since Naraku seemed to have his sights on one of the rooms already I was left to go through the room with the suspiciously body shaped heap of blankets in it. I know if it was a dead body it can't do anything to me but what if it was just a sneaky zombie & it just-...

I stopped that train of thought & slowly stepped inside, stepping over shattered glass, an over-turned computer chair, bloody scraps of clothes & other things. I kept my eye on the pile of blankets & made my way over to the closet as quietly as I could. I stood to the side when I opened the door, anticipating something jumping out at me but nothing happened. When I peeked inside I found rows & rows upon rows of what appeared to be female clothing. I had no idea what size Kagura was but I was sure she'd appreciate some clothing.

I hurried quietly out of the room & down the stairs to find my brother & Kagura huddled right in the doorway of the front door, ready to bolt. Kagura saw me first, her eyes widening in fear & panic.

"Where's Naraku?" she whispered, her voice so high & thin she sounded like a squirrel with asthma.

"No, no, no, he's fine, he's fine" I said quickly when she looked like she was about to bolt upstairs, "I just wanted you to help me with something"

She took deep breaths & looked at me strangely. "Help you with what?"

"I found a bunch of female clothing. I figured you might find that useful"

"Is it designer clothing or like old people shit?"

I gave her a 'are you fucking kidding me' look & she scoffed before I lead her upstairs. She froze at the sight of the pile of blankets at the room's doorway though.

"That looks like it's hiding a body" she whispered, her eyes huge.

"I kept an eye on it, it didn't move" I responded, going back to the closet.

"What if its a sneaky zombie or something?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering if maybe she'd heard me say it out loud while she was downstairs or something. "I'm not saying it isn't but the sooner we get these clothes, the sooner we can get outta here"

The soft thumping came at longer intervals now; Kagura glanced down the hallway frowning. "What's that?"

Before I could answer Naraku came from the other room with a few blankets over his shoulder & two shoe boxes. "I found two glocks & a pistols with several rounds of bullets" he reported, holding up the shoe boxes. He glanced at the body shaped pile of blankets & swallowed, "You look at that yet?"

I shook my head. "It hasn't moved since I've been in here. The sooner we get these clothes, the sooner we can move on & not have to worry about it"

He nodded. "I'll take these to the car & come help"

While he did that, Kagura quickly skipped past the pile of blankets to join me in the closet & began grabbing the clothes off the hangers, piling them up in her arms. The clothes smelled strange & unpleasant but could one be picky at a time like this? I'm sure we could find some fabric cleaner or something & maybe a place to wash the clothes. It was just that, at the moment, we didn't care.

I noticed when she gripped a particular shirt but left it, moving on to the next item.

"What's wrong with that shirt?" I asked.

"I don't want it" she said simply.

I was about to tell her to just get it but I noticed it had a pink ribbon on it & the words, "Walking For A Cure For Cancer" written in big pink letters. Walking for a cure? What the hell kind of good would that do when the "cure" for cancer made people undead, a cure that killed my fucking Mother & in turn, indirectly killed my Father? I snarled & I snatched the shirt off the hanger & ripped it up, Kagura watching me warily.

"The government is a _lie!" _I yelled, surprising Kagura & even myself.

She cautiously set the clothes down. "Sesshomaru..."

I ripped the shirt into even smaller peices, my fangs bared as some kind of incredibly strong emotion took over me & made my heart feel like it was being crushed. "We're just a bunch of fucking _experiments _to them! They don't fucking care about us!"

Kagura stepped back quickly as I flung the scrapes of cloth. I wasn't satisfied yet; anger, frustration & absolute hollowing sadness boiled my blood, shook my arms & fueled the muscles in my legs as I completely tore the room apart, burning holes into the walls, shredding whatever I got my hands on & roaring the whole time. I was aware that Kagura was staring at me, her eyes wide in fear & uncertainty. I was aware when Naraku came back & stood awkwardly at the door, flinching when I tore the mattress apart. I was aware when Inuyasha hurried upstairs & called my name, reaching for me but Naraku's strong arm holding him back. I was aware of the words he spoke to my brother, telling him that I needed this time to vent & mourn for our losses. I was aware of many other things...I just didn't care. I had the right to throw a tantrum, if you will, after everything I'd been through. I was so..._angry_, I wanted to rip up something more significant...

I turned my bloody red eyes to the pile of body shaped blankets & whipped the blankets off. Underneath was the body of what looked to be a young woman, most of her head blown off. Kagura cried out, pressing her back against the wall as Naraku sighed & shook his head sadly. From the condition her body was in, I could tell she wasn't a zombie, at least she hadn't been for long. Covering her body was a once-white summer dress, speckled with tiny prints of flowers. I bet she had been pretty. ...

I noticed by now I had been standing there, staring at the body for quite some time, enough time for me to stop panting & my breathing was now back to normal. "This is what we have been reduced to" I said in a rough voice.

No one said anything. No one even moved.

I slowly covered her body back up & ran my hand through my hair, sighing. What the hell are we going to do if the gated cities won't let us in or just aren't there? Where the hell would we go? A hopeless ache throbbed in my chest cavity & I wrapped my arms around myself, dropping into a crouch. I felt like crying...but couldn't. I could only breathe deeply, count to twenty & hope when I stopped hugging myself I wouldn't fall apart.

"Sesshomaru...we gatta go, man" I heard Inuyasha say softly

His voice was close; I opened my eyes & saw his shoes in front of me. Then he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sessh...come on, man. Let's get to the car & get outta here"

I couldn't believe I had lost it. _I'm _supposed to be the one holding it together for his sake. _I'm _supposed to be the one strong enough to make Inuyasha feel safe & try my best to protect Kagura & Naraku. That was _my _job. I was _not _supposed to be throwing a temper tantrum, acting like some kind of caveman. Just because my parents were turned doesn't mean I have to practically have a meltdown. This was not the time for that; I should've picked a more secluded place.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, closing my eyes.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked, his voice getting even closer. He rubbed his cheek against the top of my head, trying to comfort me.

A very subtle hint of a smile came to my lips. _'At least he's trying...'_

"You have nothing to apologize for" he said softly.

"You weren't supposed to see that. I'm supposed to be stronger than that" I responded hoarsely.

"You _are _strong, Sessh. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I'm supposed to protect you...keep you safe..."

"I'd feel more afraid & tramatized if you were a heartless bastard that showed no emotion"

I scoffed. "You're just saying that..."

His hand pushed my shoulder back & I raised my head to look him in the eye. "You are too old for me to lie to you" he said.

I'd never seen him look so mature, so wise. His mouth was set in a determined line & his eyes showed wisdom beyond his years. Had he just grown right in front of me? Was this still my little brother Inuyasha who used to play his Playstation 3 everyday after school & complain when Mother told him to take the trash out, which took all of about thirty seconds? Who was this man before me that looked like Inuyasha...but was so much more mature than I ever remember him being?

His eyes softened. "Let's get you out of here, alright? Maybe we'll rummage through the kitchen & find something edible"

I nodded, & stood slowly, my arms unwinding themselves from around my middle. I waited to fall apart, my arms hesitating in case I needed to catch myself again. But nothing happened. I looked up at Naraku & Kagura, standing in the doorway, their faces uncertain, nervous & surprised.

"Let's go" I said in a low voice & they nodded.

Right as I stepped out of the room I realized the thumping at the end of the hall had stopped. I paused at the top of the stairs, looking at the cracked door.

"Sesshomaru?"

I looked down to see Naraku staring back up at me. "The thumping stopped"

They listened for a moment & then Naraku walked back up the stairs, glancing down the hallway. "Wanna take a look?" he asked me.

I knew I shouldn't...but I was curious...so I nodded.

He & I both crept slowly down the hallway, breathing through our mouths out of habit since the smell of rotting corpses had become too much. My heart thudded heavily against my ribcage like it was preparing for cardiac arrest & my hands trembled very slightly. I didn't understand why I was so damn nervous. You'd think by now I'd be used to it...but I wasn't. It was like someone confronting you at gunpoint, telling you that it shouldn't be that big of a deal since you saw it on TV all the time.

**~*~*~ Warning: Tramatic Scene ~*~*~**

Naraku put his hand on the door, bracing the crowbar with the other hand, took a deep breath & pushed it open. Of all the things I expected I was going to see, nothing could prepare me for the sight of a child, maybe no more than 8, hanging from the cieling by a belt, little feet barely touching the wall now when the body swayed by the breeze from an open window. Nothing prepared me for the look on the kid's face, like he had been crying all the way up until the moment he finally died, his tongue swollen & sticking out from between his teeth. This little boy had to be so adorable when he was alive: his shoulder-length wavy hair framing his cute face, skin about as flawless as a porcelain statue. I wish I could see what color his eyes had been but they were rolled back into his skull; all I could see were the white, the eyeball sticking out so far I was sure if we breathed too hard they'd pop out.

**~*~*~ End of tramatic scene ~*~*~**

Naraku swore & rubbed his forehead, putting a hand on his hip. "Shit, man...who would do this to a child? This world has seriously gone to shit if..."

I zoned out on the rest of what he said. I don't remember exactly how it happened but somehow I ended up on the floor, on my knees. I don't know exactly what happened but somehow my body had gone completely numb. I swear it felt like my mind went dead or something. I didn't even notice anything else; that boy took up my whole entire vision. I couldn't even try to think about why or how someone would do something like this, something so...so awful. My heart went out to this boy. & then I completely fell apart, much too quickly for me to be able to catch myself. It started with a hiccup & quickly escalated from a weak cry into a sob. I don't know what took over me but somehow this single, dead boy made me lose all hope for humanity. This world had truly gone to shit.

I felt like I couldn't breathe, like my lungs were refusing to expand. I clutched & clawed at my chest before a loud, sorrowful cry ripped from my throat. Such a burdening sadness...I couldn't help myself. I'd never, ever felt such an absolutely overwhelming urge to scream & cry until my voice went raw; my sobbing sounded more like a wounded animal but it was the only way I could release this awful ache in my body.

I felt hands on my back, hands on my shoulder. Even though my body was numb I still felt them, which confused me. My body convulsed as I drew in another deep breath & let out yet another horrible cry. Would it be weird if I said the sounds that were tearing from my throat were making me cry even harder? I sounded like someone was killing me. But ya know...that's exactly how it felt.

I was laid down gently on my back but I turned my head to look at the boy. Naraku was gingerly taking his body down & slicing the belt with his claws from the child's neck. My screaming stopped but my body still shook every once in a while from inhaling sharply. The boy was laid gently on his back & I felt something squeeze my throat tightly as his head rolled over to face me. On his neck was a nasty bite mark, a bite that almost looked like it was impossible for a human to make, it was set so wide, like whatever or whoever bit him could unhinge their jaw like a snake.

Hot tears welled up in my eyes again as I thought of Father & Mother. I wonder were they as afraid as this little boy had been. I wonder how much they suffered...I wondered did they get that peaceful look over their face when they died...

A high pitched whine slipped through my lips & several fat tears streamed down the sides of my face. I missed my parents so much. More than I could ever explain in words or actions.

_'I'm sorry, Father, Mother, for not being strong for Inuyasha. I'm sorry I broke down in front of him, as if it was ok to have an emotional meltdown whenever you wanted to. I'm so sorry. But I love you both & I miss you...'_

_._

_.._

_..._

_..._

I was pulled from a very deep state that was like sleep but I could still see & hear everything (even though everything sounded like I was listening to it underwater). I could feel a humming vibration under my whole body. I guess we were in the car. I wanted to sit up but couldn't even find it in me to make my fingers twitch. The only thing I could do was breathe in...& breathe out. I don't even think I was blinking.

Something moved in the corner of my eye, some dark blob that turned white; I vaguely recognized it as a face. More muttered words then the blob leaned it towards me. I blinked then, forcing my eyes to focus but they wouldn't so I gave up. I noticed I was shivering yet I wasn't cold. I hope I wasn't coming down with a sickness. That would be _so _inconvienant-

Something shifted under me & I noticed I was lying in someone's lap. I wasn't going to complain: I was very comfortable & as I became more & more aware the area that was against or on the leg made me feel warmer. A gentle hand brushed through my hair & I sighed happily.

_'Oh yes...'_

A muffled chuckle then, "Think he's waking up"

"Told you it'd work"

More chuckling. What was so funny?

"-Pull over here...gatta piss...you two...for water or som-...before sunset"

I felt the body under me shift & the gentle hand gently rolled my head back. After a few minutes the cieling of the car came into focus & then Naraku's face.

He smirked down at me, face laced with sadness. "Hey. You gave us quite a scare back there"

What was he talkin abo-...oh...I blinked hard against the memories as if that would hold them at bay. I honestly didn't feel like I had the liquid nor the strength to cry anymore which made me realize how utterly exhausted I felt & how awful my head was pounding. I grimaced, eyes sliding shut. I promised myself right there that was the last time I'd cry.

Naraku patted my chest, lifting his leg an inch as a sign that he wanted me to get up. I sat up slowly, feeling like my head weighed fifty pounds more. I had noticed the car had stopped; Kagura & Inuyasha were turned around in their seats, looking at me curiously.

"I'm fine" I muttered hoarsely, looking away from them. I sounded like I'd been screaming at the top of my lungs for hours & then not spoken in several days.

They slowly got out of the car & as I stepped out I saw we were in a little park, complete with two rusty swing sets, a dented up slide & a merry-go-round that I doubted would move, as old & crusted as it looked.

Inuyasha's face relaxed into a smile as he looked up at me before jogging to one of the swing sets & getting in one of the little seats. I had a brief flashback from childhood, when I used to bring him to parks similar to this one but better when I finally got a car & he'd beg me to push him. I'd sigh & groan in complaint but eventually give in & push him until he was giggling like the kid he was & we'd wind up having a lot of fun.

I found myself smiling now, thinking on those times & I chose the seat beside him, gently swinging my legs. The set protested but held firm & eventually Naraku & Kagura joined us. It felt so surreal, swinging on a damn swing set during a zombie apocalypse but at the same time it made me feel like this was absolutely normal, like I belonged here. For just a little while I could forget everything we'd been through, pretend me & Inuyasha were just derping around with some friends before I had to take my little brother home before Mother flipped out on me for not getting him there in time for dinner...

"Ya know, I used to come here all the time as a kid" Kagura said, staring dreamily off into the sky, "When I ran away from home, I slept in a tube they used to have here. I actually had a lot of fun"

"You came back home three days later, sobbing your eyes out & screaming for mommy" Naraku deadpanned & she hit him in his unwounded shoulder.

"Shut up, no I didn't!"

"Oh I'm sorry, you rang the doorbell & when Mom answered the door you threw yourself into her arms & sobbed"

Kagura rolled her eyes & scoffed. "I can't stand you sometimes" she said, chuckling.

"You know what sounds great right now?" Inuyasha asked after a long silence, "A pizza"

"A supreme pizza" Naraku added.

"With cheese crusting" Kagura sighed.

I felt their eyes on me, waiting for me to add something on but I remained silent. I had an urge not to speak like I did when I first woke up in whatever gated city we had left (I just now noticed I never knew what the name of it was). It's not that I refused to say anything, I just had nothing to say.

"& hot wings" Inuyasha murmured after they concluded I wasn't going to say anything.

"& warm cinnamon sticks" Naraku nearly moaned.

At that moment someone's stomach growled loudly & they chuckled.

"Guess I'll just get a sandwich out the trunk" Kagura said before getting up & walking to where we parked.

"Can ya get me a water while you're at it?" Inuyasha shouted.

"Come get it yourself!" Kagura shot back.

He scoffed. "Women" but got up & walked the few yards to the vehicle.

Naraku & I swung slowly, our faces relaxed as our minds submerged into deep thoughts. I absentmindedly wondered what was on his mind. The zombies? His past? What he would have done differently? What he'd be doing if his wife was still alive? It seemed like a lifetime ago this very same guy was hollering at the top of his lungs, telling the squad to drop & give him fifty pushups or to pick up the pace & stop wasting his damn time by ambling around the racetrack.

I grinned at a random memory of him snapping at individuals the day of the inspection because he was so pissed he had to help clean.

"But I do my job, why the hell do I have to be punished for their incompetance?" we all heard him yell in the chief's office.

I chuckled to myself. If I had a chance to go back & do it all over again, I think I would. I would like to go for a jog around the track a few more times, put up with the rigorous exercises Naraku put us through & hell, I'd even go through that bloody obstical course. I _must _be out of my mind if I missed _that._

I hadn't even noticed I was smiling until Naraku turned to me, chuckling. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head once. I couldn't seem to get this damn smile off of my face. "Just...remembering some things we left behind"

"Like that damn obstical course?"

I actually laughed. "I made it very obvious that I hated that thing, huh?"

"Hell yeah, even the chief knew you hated it"

We shared another laugh which dwindled into a comfortable silence. The sun was begining to set & even though that made me feel a little anxious to get moving where was there to go? If anything tried to sneak up on us we'd see it coming for miles away so really there was no rush, not to mention the only safe haven we had was the car anyway.

"You're a great role model for your brother, you know" Naraku murmured, his voice a rumbling baritone.

I scoffed. "Yeah because having an emotional meltdown all because I see a dead kid is an _awesome _way to show how manly I am"

Naraku frowned at me. "You think because you were affected by a gruesome death in a stressful world makes you a wimp?"

I didn't answer; I just simply looked out over the horizon.

"Sesshomaru, you are not expected to be this stone-hearted, unemotional robot for your brother. Didn't you hear him when he said he'd be more afraid if you were that way?"

"He was saying it that to make me feel better, Naraku, that's how Yasha works"

The kumo nodded to himself. "Maybe. Either way you shouldn't be hard on yourself for showing such emotion"

"Because screaming my head off is so totally acceptable"

"Because we could quite possibly be the only living people on this fucking island, you fucking moron!" Naraku snapped, his fangs bared at me.

I felt my top lip lift in a snarl of its own. "That doesn't mean sobbing like a bitch makes me a great role model for my brother!"

Naraku sighed, disgusted. "You're about as stubborn & ignorant as a donkey with its head stuck in a fence"

"Excuse me?"

"You don't fucking _get _it! I don't know what kind of household you grew up in or what kind of shit your parents had you on but crying does not make a man a fucking pussy! What makes him a pussy is when he holds all his emotions in & looks down on any other man who does!"

"Don't you _dare _talk shit about my parents & how they fucking raised me!" I shouted, standing so abruptly the chains holding the seat up jangled noisily.

"If they brought you up right & you respect the shit they taught you then fucking act like it & stop mopping around here like you lost your favorite bottle of lotion, preventing you from jacking off your little dick!"

Without thinking I lunged for him, knocking him backwards out of his seat & we went rolling a ways before coming to a stop, me straddling his waist. I landed a few punches onto his face before I had to bob & weave around his. He was strong but I was too tall for him to hit me in the face successfully; he'd graze my chin but it wouldn't really hurt. When I leaned back out of his reach he bucked, surprising me & throwing me off. I landed on my side but he was on me in an instant, rolling me onto my back. He landed punches not just on my face but in my stomach as well, making it difficult to even block, much less counterattack. His punches were also strong as well as accurate; he jabbed me twice in my belly before hooking a left-right into my face in a matter of a few seconds.

I let my arms go slack, giving up & he stopped just before he landed a blow to my nose.

"You give up, rookie?" he snarled, close to my face.

"Fuck you" I spat in his face & twisted his arm.

We wrestled & rolled around some more before we heard Kagura & Inuyasha rush over to us, trying to pull us apart.

"Sesshomaru what the hell?"

"Naraku, what the fuck is wrong with you two?"

I glared murderously at Naraku, hate, frustration & anger rolling over my muscles. I felt power charged all in & through my limbs; I wanted nothing more than to fight until blood was shed & bones were broken. Naraku's angry crimson eyes bore into mine with such a passion I felt heat wash over my lower abdominals. Wait...what? Heat? As in...like pleasure? From a look?

I mentally shook the feeling off. There was no way I was turned on by a simple look. I considered myself mostly straight (mostly because I was attracted to women but occassionally I wondered what it'd be like with men), I wasn't interested in Naraku. At all. Especially not after the shit he said. Fucking prick.

I spat on the ground as Inuyasha tugged me in the opposite direction from Naraku & Kagura, towards the car.

"You better be glad that shit didn't land on my shoe you filthy mutt" Naraku growled.

I dragged Inuyasha with me as I charged at the fucking spider but stopped when Kagura came between us, her eyes intimidated but her mouth set in a determined line.

"Chill, Sesshomaru" she said in a low voice.

"Move out the way Kagura" I growled.

"No. Enough"

"Move!"

She kept her ground, her hands curled into fists but she didn't look like she'd swing at me. She'd better be glad Mother taught me never to even lay a finger on a girl because I would've shoved her away for standing in my way.

"How about you take your pussy ass back over to the car & continue acting like you're so damn tough" Naraku sneered.

This time Inuyasha had to come around & push against my chest to keep me from going after the prick's head & Kagura whirled on her brother, her body language stiff.

"Naraku, cut that shit out! I don't know what you two have beef about but it needs to fucking stop! This is _not _the fucking time!"

After more heated glares & persisting pushes from our siblings we went our seperate ways, Inuyasha & I over to the car, Kagura & that fucking bastard going back to where the swing sets were.

I sat on top of the trunk, folding my arms & glaring across the horizon as Inuyasha leaned against the trunk, body facing me.

"Sessh, what the hell?" he started, "First you two are laughing then you're fighting"

"He's a fucking asshole, he deserved every punch I delivered to his ignorant ass!" I snapped. I sighed when my brother looked up at me with that slightly hurt, slightly confused look with one ear limp & his eyes all big & questioning. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap on you"

He nodded once, looking away. "It's fine. Ya gunna tell me what y'all were fighting about?"

"Later" I grumbled, "I don't really feel like talking about it at the moment"

I knew if I repeated what that prick said it'd hurt Inuyasha too, not to mention I'd get furious enough to go back over there & stomp his face into the ground. How _dare _he? He didn't know what it was like growing up believing that the only way to be strong was to hold back the tears & the anger until there was a time you could be alone but never getting that along time because now you had to protect your little brother from being bitten by zombies while at the same time trying to keep him from being caught & locked up. That was a lot of fucking responsibility. Just because he lost his wife doesn't mean-

I deflated at that thought. While losing a loved one shouldn't be an excuse to be an asshole to someone who did nothing to you I guess that would make him bitter & rude. How would I even know: the girl I had been seeing when this outbreak went down could quite possibly be stumbling around here like a zombie or lying somewhere in a ditch, dead & I really didn't care that much. Not that I didn't like her, there was just more important stuff to deal with right now.

I sighed rubbing my forehead & Inuyasha looked up at me. "What's wrong,Sessh?"

"Nothing...nothing...I'm just tired"

He nodded, as if he understood. "We've been through some shit, eh?"

It was my turn to nod. "Yeah. But at least we have each other"

I reached down & ruffled his hair, grinning when he pushed my arm away in irritation.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Sessh, damn!"

I chuckled. "I know, I know"

He sighed, crossing his arms. "So now whadda we do?"

My lifted my eyes to the pinkening horizon, the stars slowly begining to twinkle one by one. What _do _we do, indeed. I took a deep breath. "We're going to go our seperate ways from Naraku & Kagura"

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	10. Chapter 10

I'm sorry for taking forever & a day to update! I was so busy writing & catching up on Bleach I lost track of the days! Anywho there's some** lemon in this chapter so beware**. If the scene tramatizes you I'm really sorry =/ My heart wasn't very into it since, because of the kind of author I am, it was out of my comfort zone but some people are rooting for the couple so I figured I'd try & make them happy. Enjoy! =D

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Inuyasha did a double take, his eyes widening. "You wanna do _what_?"

I ran a hand over my face, my thoughts a blurr as I began to plan quickly. "Look, Yasha, we can move so much faster if we leave them. They're perfectly capable of handling themselves"

"Sessh, what the hell? All because you got in a little argument, you wanna ditch them?"

"They weren't supposed to be with us in the first place!"

"They're not doing us any harm, Sessh!"

I rolled my eyes & sighed. I'd admit [only to myself] that I just wanted to leave them out of spite. Naraku wanted to act like he was such a badass, fine, he can be a badass when those zombies are chasing after his tastey ass. Wait...tastey? I know what I was trying to say but that didn't really sound right...now that I thought about it...I never paid much attention to his as-

Whoa. Hold the phone. What the hell, brain? I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I blamed this stressful environment for my emotional mood swings. I now know how all my ex-girlfriends felt when they were on their periods, flipping out about every single little thing. I could say something as simple as 'I don't feel like cuddling tonight, babe' & they'd cry me a damn river (ok I know that's not exactly how I was acting right now but still!). I frowned, my eyes still closed. What was wrong with me?

"Look I think once you & Naraku chill the fuck out & talk things over you'll see it's probably better if we stuck with them" Inuyasha said quietly, "We're out of the gates now & the more people we have the more likely it is that we'll survive"

"Because then the zombies have a bigger selection of meals to choose from?"

"Ye-no, Sessh! Damn!" he hollered but started laughing, shaking his head.

I grinned too. I always felt better when Inuyasha laughed or smiled. It made me feel like I was doing _some_thing right.

I glanced over to see Naraku & Kagura walking towards us, Kagura looking smug & Naraku's face hard, like he was annoyed at something.

"We should get moving, guys" Kagura said, "But first Sesshomaru, Naraku wants to say something to you"

He grumbled for a moment, hands stuffed in his pocket. "Sesshomaru, can I speak to you privately?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know, can you?"

He glared at me. "Bring your smart ass over here & stop wasting my gotdamn time!"

I grinned as I slid off the trunk of the car. That was the old Naraku I know. We walked back over to the swings & sat down. There was a moment of silence that stretched on for so long I began to wonder was he going to say anything or if he just wanted to bring me over here to make Kagura _think _he was going to talk to m-

"The shit I said was out of line, I will admit" he said in a gravelly voice, "But you said some inappropiate shit to, you know"

"Is that your way of apologizing to me, Naraku?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You owe me one just as much!" he snapped, frowning at me.

"I never said I didn't, I'm just sayi-"

He held a hand up, making jumbled up, irritated noises to indicate he wanted me to shut up then he sighed, deflating. "I didn't mean what I said, Sesshomaru. You're not a pussy for being hard on yourself for showing so much emotion. It's ok to cry sometimes, I don't care what anyone says, whether it's over the death of a child you didn't even know or losing something that was replaceable. The fact of the matter is no one blames you for that raw show of emotion. Matter of fact we all cried a little. That was a terrible thing to see"

I didn't say anything. He wasn't going to be able to convince me that me having an emotional breakdown was ok.

He sighed, running his fingers through that long wavy hair of his. "We have to stay strong for our siblings, that much is true. We can't fall apart now though so let's just...put this behind us"

I nodded to myself. "Yeah. & I accept your apology"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I'd accept yours but you didn't give me one"

I rolled up my eyes upwards, exhaling heavily through my nose. "Sorry, Naraku"

"There was no feeling in that..."

"What do you want me to do, sing it?"

He started to answer then thought about it. "Actually-"

"No"

"Then just say it"

"I did!"

"With sincerity!"

"Fine! I'm sorry for the things I said, Naraku!"

One side of his mouth turned upwards as he regarded me in a sultry kind of way. "I've always liked the fiestier kind"

I was about to question that but then he stood up as Kagura waved at us from the passenger side window.

"Hey, guys let's get going!" she hollered & Naraku strolled casually over to the vehicle, glancing over his shoulder once to give me another smirk & jerked his head in the direction of the car.

I stood slowly, brows furrowed in deep concentration. What the hell did "I've always liked the fiestier kind" mean?

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...

By the time the sun was setting we could see something far off, tall & black. Immediately our moods lightened as we realized that could very well be a gated city. The problem was the gas light had come on & there was no gas station anywhere to be seen. Inuyasha had eaten most of the sandwiches with his bottomless belly & Naraku had drank most of the water (which caused us to have to pull over every hour or so so that he could piss) so now we were trying to stretch it out until we made it, which meant we were all very hungry & thirsty. We ran across some abandoned vehicles & searched them but didn't find much except a bunch of ketchup packets, a pack of Black & Milds (which Naraku watched hungrily as Inuyasha took it for himself), a few groceries that weren't spoiled & a vibrator (which Kagura snatched up, making the men raise an eyebrow at her. "I have needs too!" she exclaimed even though she looked at me).

There was only a few groceries that we were able to salvage like a bag of unopened chips, an unopened container of cookies, & an economy sized can of baked beans. The chips & cookies were gone quickly but everyone was a bit reluctant to eat the beans. As hungry as we were, the gas that it'd produce would make it embarassing for ourselves & unpleasant for everyone else.

"Well whenever we gatta fart we'll just asked the driver to pull over so we don't stink up the car" Inuyasha suggested.

"The smell would still follow you" Naraku muttered.

"Not if I run around for a little!"

"We don't have time for you to run around!"

"Or we could open the windows right before they farted so that no one would even smell it" I recommended.

"Oh now we can read minds?" Inuyasha asked me, his eyes narrowed.

"This is stupid" Kagura grumbled, "Eat the beans & if you have to fart just let us know so we can open the damn windows. It's not that hard"

"You mean you wouldn't mind telling us you had to fart, Kagura?" Naraku asked, smirking, "You're that comfortable with us?"

She scoffed. "Of course I'm not that comfortable but my body has needs & if we're going fast you won't hear it anyway"

"Chicks fart?" Inuyasha had asked completely innocently & we all glared at him.

Late one night we were all curled up in the car for another uncomfortable night's sleep but the thing was: none of us could sleep. We were too excited about getting to that gated city.

Inuyasha was curled up under my arm, not speaking much but laughing when someone said something amusing. I knew he was struggling, trying to stay awake. Kagura was in the passenger seat, her body turned towards us & Naraku would glance at us every once in a while in the rearview mirror. He felt the need to keep his eyes peeled in case we were confronted with anything trying to sneak up on us.

"So how many girls have you slept with, Sesshomaru?" Kagura asked me, devilish smile enhancing her already beautiful features.

I shrugged one shoulder. "Depends on your definition of the phrase"

"How many have you penetrated?" Naraku suggested.

"Three"

"Wait so have you had oral?" Kagura asked me, her eyebrows raising.

"Yeah"

"With how many chicks?"

I glanced up at the cieling as I quickly counted in my head. "Seven"

"Sessh, you manwhore" Inuyasha's sleepy voice rose under under my arm & we chuckled (well the men did; Kagura's magenta eyes were narrowed).

"Jealous, sis?" Naraku asked, his smile wicked.

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"What about you?" I asked her, jerking my chin in her direction, "How many guys have you had sex or oral with?"

She huffed, mouth in a an angry bunch. "I only had sex with one guy & oral with two"

"Wow so you're not a whore like all the girls in school said, eh?" her brother spoke up, looking genuinely surprised & Kagura punched him hard in the shoulder where his almost healed bullet wound was, causing him to hiss in pain.

"You fucking asshole!"

"I was joking!"

"That wasn't fucking funny, you stupid bastard!"

Naraku smirked & brought her head to his chest, hugging her close with one arm. "My bad, I was just playing, Rah-Rah"

"Don't call me that..." she muttered in his shirt but hugged him back.

I grinned & looked away, feeling the need to give them some privacy. I glanced down at Inuyasha who had dozed off to sleep, his ear flapped backwards cutely. He always looked so peaceful when he slept. I haven't felt like I had a good night's sleep since before Mother recieved the injection. It made me wonder what occupied his mind before he went to sleep that caused him to look so rested? Didn't he worry about where our next meal was going to come from? Didn't he wonder what would happen if something snuck up on us while we slept? Sure Naraku stayed up during the night to keep watch but what if it snuck up on us from behind or something? Did he really trust me that much?

I sighed, running a hand through his hair. I wish he hadn't been exposed to all of this. As horrible as it sounded I could now understand why that little boy's family killed him: they didn't want him to suffer. While Inuyasha hadn't been bitten there were times if I wondered if he'd just be better off dead. He wouldn't have to suffer or worry or be hungry...but could I honestly kill or have him be killed? It went without saying that I couldn't let that happen. Still there were so many places we could seek shelter & so much time will pass before we're either caught, bitten or killed off somehow...right?

"You guys get some sleep" Naraku said in a low voice, folding his hands behind his head as he reclined back in his seat, "We're going to need all the rest we can get"

"We'll have to walk a lot tomorrow, huh?" Kagura asked.

He nodded, exhaling slowly. "From the looks of it we're going to be out of gas very soon. There's no way in hell we'll make it to that city with this car"

I hoped it wouldn't be too, too hot tomorrow but I had another concern. "How long do you think it'd take to get to the city on foot?" I asked.

The kumo shrugged. "Depends on how close we get before the gas runs out, how fast we walk & if, how often & how long we take breaks. I'd say maybe three days though"

Me & Kagura practically deflated at that. Three days walking? With only two guns & a crowbar would that be enough to survive should we run across any zombies? & where would sleep at night? This wasn't good at all.

"Maybe we should push the car" Kagura murmured & Naraku & I looked at her like she had lost her damn mind. She definitely had lost it if she honestly thought we were going to push a twenty five ton car for three days.

"Well, I mean" she started, shifting uncomfortablly under our looks, "I know you have a lot of bullets & all but I doubt they'll last for three days, especially if we run into zombies every day or worse, confront a horde"

I hadn't even thought of that. I ran a tired hand over my face.

"Kagura, we can't push this heavy thing all day everyday for three days" Naraku said tiredly.

"Well we need some kind of shelter. What if it rains? It's not like we have umbrellas or something besides old blankets to sleep on" she countered.

"She has a point" I spoke up.

"We won't have the energy to fight off zombies if we come across any" Naraku pointed out.

"You'd be surprised at the energy your body gathers up when your life depends on it" I mumbled.

Naraku grumbled to himself & massaged his forehead slowly, his eyes closed. It wouldn't be easy but it just made sense to push the car to the city instead of leaving our only shelter, bed & limited protection behind. It's not like we had to do it forever; we could make it.

"Sesshomaru could I talk to you outside for a moment?" Kagura asked, breaking the silence.

"Sure" I replied, gently shifting Inuyasha so that I wouldn't russel him too much.

"Don't wander too far off" Naraku said in a low voice, his eyes narrowed in suspiscion.

Kagura & I stepped out of the car & I followed her behind an abandoned gas station (which I was surprised was still standing). She turned to me & took her shirt off, causing my eyebrows to raise.

"Kagura...?" I started.

"Look there's no telling if we'll have any other opprotunity to have sex" she whispered hurriedly, "I don't want to wait because I'm horny & I don't know if we'll even make it..."

I finished the sentence in my head. _I don't know if either of us will survive long enough to make it to the city._

I stripped myself of my shirt while she took off her jeans. Then she walked up to me & kissed me, slowly unbuttoning my pants. I felt my eyes slide closed as my hands rose on their own to unhook her bra. Her skin felt like fire or maybe my hands were just cool but it sparked something in my belly & our kisses went from kind of innocent to rough & animalistic. I swallowed her repetitious moaning, darting my tongue all around her sweet, wet cavern. Her claws tangled in my hair & tugged several times which caused me to break the kiss & groan low in my throat, my eyes opening a little to look down at her. I tossed her bra aside & took her breasts firmly in one hand, switching between massaging it & rolling the perk nipple between two fingers. That caused her to alternate between gasps & breathy moans, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she arched her back into my chest & nibbled on my neck.

"I want to fuck you until your voice is raw" I growled low in her ear, causing goosebumps to raise on her arms.

I dipped my head to take one of her nipples into my mouth & sucked on it firmly, sliding my tongue over the very tip. She gasped & fisted my hair with one hand, the other slowly sliding down my torso into my pants. Fire licked where her fingers brushed my skin; I didn't even notice that it was even cold out here.

Without warning she dropped to her knees & dove her hand into my pants, pulling out my already hard member & began to lick the tip. I felt my knees grow weak as I leaned against the wall of the station & tangled one set of claws in her hair, my breathing hitching.

Kagura didn't have particularly huge lips or anything but man, could she suck. Either she'd watched a whole lot of porn, gotten advice from others or the man she had sex with told her exactly what he wanted her to do because there was no way she just _knew _how much it'd drive a man up the wall if she trailed that hot tongue up & down my length, sucked on it like her favorite lollipop, all while giving me these absolutely smoldering stare through her eyelashes. When she deep throated (which surprised me because, not to toot my own horn but I was pretty well endowed; not one of my ex's could swallow me whole) me a warm wave of pleasure washed over my abdomen & I let out a low groan, eyes rolling. It felt so damn good.

She began bobbing her head back & forth, increasing the suction as she came back up, moaning deep in her throat when my dick was snuggled in her throat. I was struggling not to moan out loud, in case I drew something to us or worse, made Naraku come check up on us but that was damn near impossible.

"Ohhh fuck, Kagura..."

One of her hands came up & stroked my sack, causing my toes to curl. My hips began to thrust forward as if they had a mind of its own. I tried stilling them; I didn't want her to choke & panic then end up biting me or something but I couldn't get enough of that hot, smooth tongue.

She switched her hand & mouth at one point, sucking both sacks into her mouth & did a great job with making them wet with her saliva. Had this wall not been holding me up I would've definitely been on my back, on the ground.

I felt a familiar spring getting ready for launch in my lower abdomen & I tightened my hold on her hair.

"Ah fuck...oh shit that feels so fucking good, I'm gunna cum-"

Suddenly cold air hit my dick & I frowned down at her, only to find her jacking me off, her eyes staring excitedly at it as if she knew I was going to jizz money or something.

"Come on baby" she said in a low husky voice that instantly turned me back on, "Cum for me big daddy"

I rolled my eyes at the pet name but I easily forgot it as she licked the tip of my member, trying to hurry along my climax.

"Ohhhh fuck..."

"That's right, baby, give it to me"

I had to force my eyes open as I came to see what she would do & felt my jaw drop when she caught the ribbons upon ribbons of cum in her mouth. Some of it got on her nose or eye but she simply wiped it off with a finger & sticking the digit into her mouth, her sultry dark magenta eyes staring up at me the whole time.

"Oh...fuck" I managed to whisper.

She stood after she cleaned me off & pulled me into a hot kiss. As strange as it sounded Inuyasha was right: I kind of did like the taste of my cum. Not that I'd put it in a glass & drink it or anything like that.

"Fuck me" she whispered against my lips & I hefted her up without hesitation, turning so that her back was up against the wall, her long silky legs wrapped around my waist.

I dove right into her warm wetness & gritted my teeth at how incredibly tight, wet & hot she was. She gripped my shoulders & arched her back, her mouth falling open but no sound coming out.

"You _will _be saying my name by the time I'm done with you" I growled into her ear.

Something came over me when she inhaled slowly so that it sounded like hissing & she gave me such a lustful glare before her plump bottom lip tucked under her top row of fangs. I pounded into her relentlessly, a rumbling sort of growl vibrating in my chest & she rode me like she was on a bronco, her claws digging into my back. As I braced my hands on her curvy hips I wondered suddenly if maybe the wall was hurting her back...but judging from the barely restrained moans & the way her eyes rolled in the back of her head slowly I'd think not.

"Oh fuck! Damn baby that's nice!" she moaned, one hand flashing to her breasts where she squeezed it & rolled her nipple between two of her fingers.

I nibbled on her neck & licked her collarbone, jolts of electricity zipping to every limb as I felt a hot, rolling sensation in my belly. My fingers began to twitch & jerk with every thrust, my muscles tensed until they were rock hard & each & every time I buried myself within her it felt better than the last time. I began biting her a little harder & her moans got more frequent, not to mention louder. I felt a wild urge to break her skin & drink her blood but pushed that desire aside.

"Oh sweet Jesus, Sessho-oh-ohhhh shit baby"

My thrusting got faster as the smoldering fire in my belly boiled & Kagura's restless hand reached down to stroke herself before pinching her nipples again then fluttering to her mouth where she sucked on her middle finger, her eyes closed, brows furrowed in concentration. I don't think I'd ever seen her look so damn sexy; her lips so red from biting, cheeks flushed & eyes heavily lidded when she opened her eyes to give me a lustful glare. She bared her fangs & I unconsciously bared my own; she was ready to climax.

When her eyelids began to flutter & her magenta eyes began to slowly roll back I stopped, which earned me a very murderous glare.

"Sesshomaru I swear to God!" she shrieked

I only gave her my best shit-eating smirk & roughly laid her on the ground then buried my head between her legs, quickly lapping up her sweet essence. Her hips jerked erractically but I didn't mind. I also didn't mind her claws raking through my hair as she fought the scream that she was barely able to keep restrained. I'll be honest, I've only ever gone down on a female once & I vowed to never do it again. But that was different because I needed a weed-wacker to get to the prize & the forrest kept getting in the way so I felt it wasn't worth it. Kagura, however,was shaven so clean it was the epitome of a perfect pussy so burrowing my face so deep in her womanhood until even my nose got wet was fine by me.

"Oh my God!" Kagura moaned.

I hummed with her clitoris captured between my lips & her hips bucked higher. She tasted so good, I could only stay there for a moment before I went back to plunging my tongue into her wet crevice, curling the tip & smirking when her thighs began to practically vibrate.

"Oh God Sessho-ohh...ohhh baby, that feels good...ah fuck me..."

Since I wasn't really moving (minus my right hand which squeezed her breast every once in a while) the cold began to seep into my body & before I knew it my teeth began to chatter. I didn't want to hurt her so I began sucking on her clit, trying to get her to climax faster. Her hips rolled & her hands tangled more tightly in my hair but she didn't cum. When my bottom row of teeth, which were chattering the hardest, brushed her clit she gasped, her back arching sharply.

"Oh baby do that agin" she breathed.

I smirked & let my teeth rest against her while my index & middle finger plunged into her hot wetness (I swear she was hiding a waterpark or something down there). Her words slurred & her moaning was incoherent, her back arched high & legs wrapped around my head. I gave her clit one last hard suck before her hips bucked harshly & her cum shot out over my hand, wrist, arm & even my chin. I ducked to lick her clean, finding that I enjoyed the taste of her cum as well; she tasted like hot apple cider & brown sugar.

When I sat up, unconsciously licking her essense off of my lips I found her hair a sweaty mess over her forehead & the ground, her eyes closed & a gentle smile on her lips.

"That was...fucking amazing" she whispered, voice hoarse, "I bet you made many girls happy with that wicked tongue of yours"

I smirked & slowly kissed her breasts, not really wanting to go back to the car but my muscles were aching though I didn't feel spent at all. However Kagura was still trying to recover, if her panting, twitching & sudden intakes of breath weren't anything to go by. I gave her right nipple, which I found was her more sensitive one, one last lick then looked up at her.

"We should get back to the car" I whispered, my voice deepened with the need for sleep.

I started to get up but stopped when she tugged a handful of my hair. She gave me a wide smile.

"One more time?" she asked.

I sighed, smirking. "One more time. Let's make it quick"

I settled between her legs again & ran my tongue up & down the crevice, her soft moan almost music to my ears. I plunged my tongue into her tightness before quickly pulling it back out, repeating it until her hips began to slowly roll against my face. I purred when she began massaging my scalp, claws dipping to scratch lightly behind my ear.

"I want you to hum" she whispered.

I obeyed, taking her clit between my lips & humming. Strangled moans fell from her lips & her hips bucked furiously. She came hard, her back arched high & her legs locked tight around my head. She didn't squirt this time but I got a trickle when I fingered her once more.

"Again...again!" she panted, her eyes crazy with lust.

She pulled me up for a kiss & rolled us over where she grinded her hips hard down on my hardened member. I groaned & flicked my tongue into her mouth briefly, smirking when she sucked on it. She pulled away sooner than I would have liked & turned around, her legs straddling my head.

I smiled diabolically & wrapped my hands around her trim waist, burying my tongue into her tightness once more. Her hips rocked & rolled, causing some of her cum to drip onto my cheek or chin. I shook my head vigorously as the beastly desire to fuck her raw burned in my belly; her savage moaning wasn't helping the cause either. I jumped when her hot mouth engulfed my dick & had to pause long enough to let a husky groan rip from my throat. She bobbed her head so fast I was a little concerned that she might choke but the pleasurable sensations her mouth was making & the shocks to the ends of my nerves it was creating made me lose that train of thought quickly.

At one point in time, when she moaned with my dick deep in her throat, I stretched her as wide as it would go & wiggled my tongue right at the entrance, teasing her. Her body practically vibrated as she rolled her hips down into my face. God this was heaven. Her back arched & she came once again, her moan deep, almost like a growl which caused me to cum as well. I gritted my teeth, trapping the roar but a few moans slipped through.

We lay where we were, panting & completely spent. For a brief moment I could see myself dating Kagura, back before the outbreak. I could see us having sex everyday, each time in a different place. The counter in the kitchen. The shower. In the backseat of my car. In a movie theater. The thought almost made me feel nostalgic, which I thought was weird. How can one feel nostalgic for something they never had?

"Come on" Kagura whispered, getting up slowly & putting on her clothes, "Let's get back to the car before Naraku comes looking for us".

I got up reluctantly & got dressed slowly, my eyes glazed over. I began questioning if I really had feelings for Kagura or did I just see her as a sex object. I honestly didn't know; while I definitely found her attractive I couldn't say for sure if I was attracted _to_ her. I didn't really know her that well & to be honest I wasn't all that curious either. She only stirred lustful feelings in me, nothing more. I could only hope she didn't have feelings for me because I just knew it'd cause problems.

We walked from behind the building & climbed into the car. Naraku looked his sister up & down before turning a scrutinizing eye to me. Kagura ignored him & proceeded to get comfortable in her seat & before I knew it she was fast asleep. The silence became awkward when I could hear Naraku sniffing the air & one side of his lip lifted up as if he was disgusted.

"You two had a nice fucking session?" he asked casually though his eyes were hard.

Sleep was coaxing me but that wasn't the only reason why I really didn't care if he was upset. "Yeah, we sure did"

He scoffed & muttered to himself, crossing his arms to ward off the cold a bit. I got the strangest feeling from the angry look on his face...like...he was more jealous than angry...but I shrugged it off, blaming the random thought on being so utterly tired. Not having any sisters, I can't really relate to feeling the need to be so protective over a younger sibling; Inuyasha wasn't that much younger than I, not to mention it was different because he was a male.

I shifted into a more comfortable position, stretching my legs over to the other side of the backseat, my left leg resting between the edge of the seat & Inuyasha, who was snoring quite loudly. Last I checked Kagura was grown & could make her own decisions. If Naraku had a problem with that he'd have to take it up with her. Still something about his body language, his facial expression nagged me in the back of my mind. Did protective brothers pout like that when he finds out his younger sister has been banging his former sububordinate? There's only one explaination for why he'd be jealous & there was no way in hell that was the reason.


	11. Chapter 11

To the anon review that asked would I consider an mpreg story: well...I hadn't considered it but now that you planted that seed of thought I think I might actually write out a rough draft of one hehe.

[Clears throat]. I sincerely apologize to my readers that didn't like the Sessh x Kagura lemon. I understand it was a bit out there for an author like me (hell I wasn't even comfortable writing it!). But I had to throw a monkey wrench into what everyone was expecting. This chapter is meant as a truce for my yaoi fans =]

* * *

><p>I awoke with a start, sitting up straight. Naraku glared at me in the rearview mirror.<p>

"Bathroom break?" he muttered.

I shook my head, noticing Inuyasha emerging from behind the abandoned gas station while zipping up his pants. Kagura was stretching her arms over her head right outside the passenger door. While I concluded that the reason why I woke up so abruptly was because she'd slammed the door, I absentmindedly noticed her arched back, ass sticking out at a flattering angle & I unconsciously smiled.

Naraku scoffed, muttering something about how men were dogs & I frowned.

"Do you have a problem, Naraku?"

His sultry crimson eyes were bright, almost a shade of cherry as he stared at me in the mirror. "Excuse you?"

"You're acting like I've done something to offend you. If you have a problem with me then just tell me"

"Last time I checked I didn't need someone's _permission _to get some shit off of my chest to their face"

I lifted my chin arrogantly. "Then stop acting like a little bitch"

Faster than my eye could follow Naraku was in my face, his large hand wrapped tightly around my throat. It surprised me but I kept my facial expression slightly bored & though it was harder to breathe I kept my breathing even.

"You don't know who you're fucking with, boy" he snarled, fangs bared.

A scorching hot liquid sensation boiled in my abdomen & I frowned. What the hell? I only got this feeling when I was turned o-

He scoffed again, looking me up & down with disgust. "I don't see what she sees in you. You're just some prissy little pretty boy with his head stuck so far up his ass your farts & burps sound & smell exactly alike"

My fist shot out & cracked across his jaw before I could even think about doing such a thing. I'd caught him on the side of his bottom lip, causing his head to turn with the force of my hit. He turned his head slowly to face me, giving me an intimidating glare but that hot boiling sensation rose in my belly again. As much as I hated to admit it, even to myself, Naraku was downright sexy when he was furious.

I swallowed, my blood running cold. _'I just called a man sexy...'_

My head snapped back when his fist slammed into my nose, stopping all train of thought. I recovered, growled & delivered an upper cut his jaw. Rage lit his eyes up & a wild, excited growl fell from my lips, surprising both of us.

Naraku hesistated for a moment, his expression confused, then it was replaced with anger again & he bared his fangs at me.

"Get out the fucking car"

Before I could respond he got out quickly & I followed, wasting little time in picking up where we left off. I shot over the car & grabbed him by his throat, grunting at the strong punches he delivered to my ribs. I vaguely heard Kagura exclaiming & Inuyasha cheering me on but didn't pay much attention. I executed a few more hard punches to Naraku's jaw & nose before he launched me off of him & into the car, causing me to leave the imprint of my body in the driver's side door.

"What the fuck?" Kagura shrieked, "Cut it out!"

Naraku ran up on me & drove his knee into my stomach. The wind was knocked completely out of me, like all the oxygen just vanished & I groaned, bent over at the waist. He wrapped his hand around my throat again & slammed my back against the car, forcing me to look into his furious red eyes. Strangely there was more than just anger swirling in those depths...was that lust I detected as well...?

"I told you not to fuck with me, boy" his voice was husky & caused delightful shivers to run down my spine.

I felt an overwhelming urge to drop to my knees in front of him; my knees tingled with the desire to do so. I never considered myself a masochist or anything but I got a random vision of him fucking me raw & squeezing my neck so hard I was barely able to breathe. I felt my breathing hitch & my eyes flutter at the image, my body feeling like a hot puddle.

Naraku's nostrils flared as he breathed in the scent of arousel, his eyes sparking wildly in excitment. A deep, rumbling growl emitted from his chest & he leaned in close to me before he caught himself. Both of our eyes widened in shock & in a flash he had leaped away from me, hands clenched into fists.

Kagura was still hollering, gesturing rudely in her brother's face while Inuyasha tugged on my sleeve.

I stepped away from the car, ignoring Inuyasha as I stalked down the almost-dirt road. I didn't have a destination in mind, I just wanted to get away from them at the moment. What the fuck was going on? How the hell did we start out fighting & wind up getting so turned on we forgot who the hell we were? I took a deep breath to shake off the lust that was flowing through my body & ran a hand over my face.

The sun was just about to peek over the horizon. Clouds stretched over the sky like lazy fingers that turned pink, purple & other beautiful shades as the sun's light hit them. I had forgotten just how beautiful a sunrise could be; I hadn't taken the time to watch one since...well, since...I don't even know how long, to be honest...

I sighed & sat down, my legs stretched out in front of me, leaning back on my hands. My eyes settled on the gated city that seemed so close & yet so far. What would happen if they'd heard of Inuyasha's status as a fugitive? Where would we go? The better question to me was, what would be the point? We're all going to die eventually right? We might as well just commit suicide so we didn't have to run for the rest of our lives.

I used to daydream about raising a family of my own, having my own custom built house, a pet, a souped up car of my dreams & a few kids of my own running in the yard but who the hell in their right mind would want to bring a child into a world over-run by zombies? That was just ridiculous.

I let my head fall back & my eyes closed as I breathed in the morning air. It smelled so familiar it made my heart ache with nostalgia. The dew, the smell of the earth, everything. I realized this was the first time I've consciously taken a deep breath of air & didn't smell rotting corpses or stinking bodies (though I'd need a bath fairly soon).

Eventually though my thoughts wandered back to Naraku. I don't know how to describe this feeling at all. I would find myself being turned on by a touch or a look but I wasn't...at least I _think _I wasn't attracted to him...or was I? I mean...yeah he's sexy as hell but...did that make me gay? Hell, did it even matter? Sure, the only person I'd probably feel the need to explain it to was Kagura...well, & Inuyasha...shit, maybe even Naraku himself (I felt sick at the last thought) but would it really matter to me, considering we were pretty much fighting to survive?

I frowned deeply when I heard steps approaching. Turning my head slightly I noticed it was Naraku & I tensed, forcing my composure to remain calm.

"I don't feel like fighting Naraku. Just chill the fuck out"

I figured it'd be best to ignore that spark of lust we shared near the end of the fight.

"I didn't come here to fight you. I just kind of wanted to apologize. I just don't want you to hurt Kagura; she's all I have left-"

I waved my hand dismissively. I didn't feel like listening to another sob story, as much of a jerk as that made me sound.

He sat down beside me, his long arms resting on his raised knees. His facial expression looked so tired & confused that I began feeling kind of bad for him. He's been through so much & I bet he wasn't even thirty yet...

"Hey Naraku?" I murmured, trying to keep the awkward silence at bay.

"Hn?"

"How old are you?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "That's a random question"

I shrugged.

He chuckled once, looking back at the sun that was halfway up over the horizon. "Twenty five. I feel much older though"

I nodded slowly. I took him to be about that age since he never hung out with the guys so it made him seem much older.

"& you?" he asked.

"Twenty three"

"You're still a baby"

I frowned. "That's not what your sister sai-"

He shot me a murderous glare & I grinned.

"That's not funny, rookie"

"It actually is though I don't expect you to find it funny" I countered.

He shifted, sighing softly & tossing his wavy hair over his shoulder. I got a wiff of his scent: he smelled like a dominate male & something spicy & sweet. Almost like Kagura's scent but more masculine.

I felt my cheeks flush when my youki whined so loudly I wouldn't have been surprised if Naraku had heard. What was with this sudden & incredibly strong attraction I had towards this man? Had I been ignoring the feelings up until now? This was not our first fist fight; I didn't feel any sort of the wild emotions that were flitting through me then-

"What's on your mind?" Naraku's baritone's voice rang out, soft but still interrupting my train of thought.

I crossed my legs at the ankles, leaning my head on my shoulder. "Bunch of things. Like what the hell will we do if we run into a bunch of zombies"

Well I mean I did think about it, somewhat, so it wasn't a complete lie.

"Simple: we defend ourselves" he responded.

"What about the 'getting close enough for them to bite you' thing Kagura had a problem with?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "There are some situations where it can't be helped"

We turned when we heard Kagura calling to us. "We found some stuff in the gas station we can use!" she hollered.

Naraku & I shared a look before we stood & walked over to the abandoned gas station that smelled like old people & mildew. Inuyasha was snatching unopened bags of chips off the shelf & stuffing them in his arm. At his feet were a couple of large monkey wrenches, three crowbars, a gluegun & a four foot metal rod (why some of this stuff would be in a gas station, I'll never know).

Kagura made a pouch with the bottom of her shirt & began stuffing it with candy. "You guys look for something else useful. We'll take this stuff back to the car"

I searched down the aisles, finding a blow torch in the back (what the hell was this doing in a damn gas station?) & hair spray (I could only hope these two combined would wield the results I'd seen in movies) then I grabbed a handful of lighters & three two gallon jugs of flammable liquid & put them in the car. Kagura & Inuyasha were still stashing & eating food at the same time & Naraku was lugging alcohol out of the fridge.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Really, Naraku?"

He smirked. "I figured it'd be harmless since the fridges are actually still running. Go grab some more & maybe a few Rockstars, just as long as it's not the sugar-free kind"

I sighed & shook my head. I mean why not? We could all use a bit of alcohol to relax our nerves. I stared at the different varieties of Rockstar before reaching in & grabbing a few of the original flavors & the punch flavors. I took those to the car before I came back to grab some more alcohol.

I stood there staring at the display. I hated the taste of beer but the strongest thing they had was Bailey's (even though I had to admit that was pretty good). I sighed, figuring I might as well & reached both of my hands in to grab two cases of beer & some Bailey's. Suddenly two rotting hands shot out & grabbed both of my wrists & the zombie snarled from its side of the refridgerator.

"Fuck!" I shouted, planting my feet again the refridgerator door & pulling.

The zombie was holding on so tight it started to come over to my side as I pulled so I stopped. It was shaking its head so much, snarling & carrying on, it was flinging flesh, blood & saliva on me & I turned my head away in digust. I brought venom to my fingertips & turned my palm up to burn its arms off at the wrists but it took a while. It snarled & tried to desperately claw at my clothes to bring me closer but finally its arms fell off & I backed away, panting.

"Back up Sessh!"

I sighed as Inuyasha came swooping in with the large monkey wrench & embedded it into the zombie's head, sucessfully killing it.

"Thanks" I muttered, snatching the dead hands off of my wrists & throwing it away in disgust. I'd definitely need the alcohol now.

We gathered our spoils, piled up in the car & drove off. I was still a little shaken from the encounter so when Inuyasha touched my arm to get my attention I jumped.

He gave me a wary look, eyebrows raised. "S-sorry. I was just gunna ask you are you alright"

I wiped a hand over my face, grimacing at my still sore nose & nodded. "Yeah. My nerves are just...just fried"

"You'd probably do well with a blowjob" Kagura said casually & Naraku growled deep in his throat.

"Oh hush!" she snapped.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "That's why you two were out the car so long this morning? You were fucking?"

"For fuck's sake Yasha..." I sighed.

"Was it good? Did you do what I tell ya?"

"Do what?"

"You know...drink her cum?"

"You're a sick kid!" Kagura said glaring at him over her shoulder.

"I bet you're an even sicker woman!" he snapped back.

"Be quiet" Naraku said. His baritone voice had enough authority in it that he didn't need to raise his voice to get across how the bickering was annoying him.

Everyone was begining to get on edge as the needle on the gas meter got so low, it was below the E. Being a former athlete I began to stretch without thinking, preparing for a long walk while carrying items in a bag on my back (we put the weapons in the duffel bag) & pushing a several ton vehicle for God knows how many hours.

By the time the car finally ran out of gas the sun was high in the sky & burning.

Kagura sighed. "Can we at least down the alcohol before we start pushing? I'll need the help of the spirits to get me through this shit"

Naraku shrugged one shoulder & held his hand out for the case of beer he'd brought. Inuyasha handed it to him & he passed it out, though I declined.

"Aww come on rookie, live a little" he cooed & the fire that smoldered in his crimson eyes could've been taken pervertedly.

I hesitantly took the can but didn't drink any. I gave mine to Inuyasha who grinned widely.

"Don't get used to it" I muttered to him, frowning.

He waved me off & threw the drink back as if he'd been doing it all his life (knowing the brat, he probably got started in Mother's womb). I uncapped a bottle of Bailey's & sipped on it, sighing softly at the slight burn it left in my throat.

"Ya know, sometimes I wish I could have sex with a girl" Kagura said after several cases of beer were consumed (over half by her).

Inuyasha chuckled throatily. "That would be hot. You got anybody in mind?"

She mulled that over in silence. "Hmm...Sango had a nice rack..."

"I bet Kagome was a virgin..." Naraku purred thoughtly & absentmindedly licked his lips.

"Yeah she was. She was gunna let me hit too" Inuyasha responded almost sadly.

"What would you do with a girl?" I asked, my voice coming across a lot more seductive than I intended (I actually hadn't meant for it to be seductive at all). I noticed a wolfish grin spread over Naraku's lips.

"I want to eat a girl out just to see how it feels on my tongue" her voice dropped into a husky murmur & I noticed Inuyasha's hand fluttering to the zipper on his pants. I knocked his hand away, frowning when he gave me a questioning look.

"Would you stick your tongue in her?" I continued.

"Of course. I wanna...-" she paused to take another sip of her beer, "See what men find so addicting about eating pussy"

"It tastes like heaven" Naraku murmured.

"You ever gave a blowjob?" Inuyasha asked.

I felt my cheeks flame & Kagura let out a husky chuckle. "Yeah"

"How was it?"

"We don't need details" Naraku growled.

"Aww is the widdle spider mad cause he wants nookie?" Kagura asked in a little baby voice.

"Shut up Kagura" he responded.

"I wanna know what it's like to fuck a dude" Inuyasha mumbled & the whole car shook as everyone violently snapped their heads in his direction.

He shrugged one shoulder. "I ain't gay or nothin', I'm just curious"

"That makes you gay, boy" Naraku said slowly.

"Gay means I'm sexually attracted to the same sex & I just said I'm just curious, _not _that I like guys!" Inuyasha snapped, his heavy lidded eyes glaring at the kumo.

"So you're bi-curious?" Kagura asked, lifting an eyebrow.

My brother shrugged again, finishing his beer off. "I guess you could say that though I'm not interested in being in a relationship with another man"

There was a long silence & on cue, everyone turned their eyes to me & smiled. I felt like there was a spotlight on me & I was naked in front of millions.

"You're awfully quiet over there, Sesshomaru" Kagura said in her husky voice, reaching forward to twist a lock of my hair around her finger.

I swallowed thickly. "Not much for me to say"

"What are some of your sexual fantasies?" Naraku purred, a lecherous smile spreading across his handsome face. Again, I felt that overwhelming desire to drop to my knees & beg to pleasure him. If I wasn't sitting I was sure I'd melt to the ground, my knees were so weak from the sound of his voice & his smile alone.

I swallowed again, trying to think around my hardening dick. "I, uh...I don't have anything worth sharing"

"Oh I'm sure you do" Naraku continued in that smooth, sultry voice & leaning forward, "There comes a time in every man's life when...his mind gets carried away because he's begining to think with that head down under..."

With every word he drew closer & closer & his voice lowered into a whisper as his hand slowly travelled up my leg, smoothed over my knee & caressed my thigh. I could feel my breathing hitch & though I didn't know what facial expression I had on my face I could my fangs pricking my bottom lip. By now I could feel his body's heat on my face (or was I just blushing that hard?).

"I'm sure you had...moments in your teenage years...when you jacked yourself off to some lovely model that you had posted up on your wall or...pulled up a picture of some sexy vixen on the internet...did you not? Or were you one of those studs who had enough whores surrounding you that you always had someone to take care of the job for you?"

By now he was so close to me I could practically taste his damn lips. If I stuck my tongue out it'd brush them...& man how tempting it was. They looked so soft...so kissable...my breath shuddered as his hand massaged my thigh & "accidently" brush my crotch.

"Or maybe...you'd like to try out something you've been struggling with for a while..." he whispered, crimson eyes lit like a car's red tail lights in sexual excitment.

I wanted to lean forward & kiss him so bad my hand was practically vibrating. I followed his tongue as it slid seductively across his top lip & I almost..._almost _lost it...if it hadn't been for Kagura soft sigh interrupting my thoughts.

"It'd be so hot if you two kissed..." she said quietly.

Naraku's chuckle rumbled in his chest as he leaned away from me & sat back in his seat. "In your dreams, woman"

I felt a hollow stirring in my chest, like I'd just lost something. Was he just playing with me? That couldn't have been an act, he played that part way too well! What straight man would lean in so close to another man as if he was about to kiss him in front of his sister & the other man's brother? Or did he really just not care about what people thought of him?

As Kagura rambled about how much she got turned on from watching two guys fucking, Naraku caught me looking at him & winked, puckered his lips & sent me a seductive smirk. I felt my fingers twitch at the need to touch myself; these feelings he was envoking in me...it was too much...& I was too confused. When the hell had this happened? When did Naraku get me so tied around his finger that I got turned on by imagining him pounding into me mercilessly in front of Kagura & Inuyasha? When did I finally feel comfortable with the fact that I was willing to be this man's bitch & yearned for his dick inside me?

I tried to slow my panting as it was earning me questioning stares from his sister & my brother. Still Naraku's eyes held mine, a sexual glint in his eyes.

_'Please tell me this is just the alcohol making us behave this way...' _I begged.

_._

_.._

_..._

We were shit-faced drunk by the time we finished all the alcohol. Naraku wondered aloud several times if he should walk back to the gas station to get some more but then muttered that he didn't feel like it. Inuyasha was drooling while he slept with his face mashed up against the window, snoring like a damn chainsaw. I couldn't see what Kagura was doing; my eyes wouldn't focus & she was slouching in her seat. In her reflection in the passenger side window I could see her massaging her breasts slowly though.

My body felt hot & like I was sitting on a washing machine that was going through its rinse cycle but I felt great. My legs twitched with the need to run though I had no idea where I'd go. I noticed I was already breathing hard as I imagined myself running until all my muscles burned & wiped a shaky hand over my face.

"Having trouble holding your alcohol, rookie?" Naraku muttered, his voice gravelly.

I finished off my beer & tossed it out the window with the rest of the cans. "You try-nah act li' you kin hol' yers..."

This was the reason I very rarely ever got drunk: I hated slurring.

He chuckled. "I have a buzz while you're shit faced & I drank more than you did"

"Shut yer ass up...sheeeee-it" I grumbled.

There was a comfortable silence (well, minus Inuyasha's snoring & what I thought was Kagura mumbling something). I watched Naraku slowly run his fingers through his hair, his bedroom sultry eyes staring out past the windshield. The things I'd do to be able to run my fingers through that hair...I bet he likes to have it pulled...I'd love to be the one to pull it...

I blinked & concentrated on focusing when Naraku's eyes slid over to watch me in the rearview mirror.

"You're breathing kind of hard back there" he said in a low voice, "You alright?"

I nodded slowly, unintentionally licking my lips just as slowly, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"I suggest you put that tongue back in your mouth before I give it an assignment to complete" he rumbled, wolfish smirk dominating his features.

Instead of obeying like my youki whined I should do I stuck it out as far as it would go & curled the tip in a beckoning gesture. I wasn't trying to tease; I was only kidding around. But when Naraku began to growl in an excited way & the hot sensation sprang back up in my belly I didn't regret doing such a thing.

"Bet it'd beast any assssssignmen' you could come up wit'" I slurred.

"I bet it would too..."

I slouched farther into my seat & we exchanged a long heated glare, glares that promised that if this was any other circumstance we would probably fuck each other like pornstars on steroids & give each other the most satisfying orgasms ("orgasms" in plural form because you bet your sweet ass we'd do it more than once). The last thing I remembered was Naraku biting his lip seductively as his eyes bore into mine before I passed out

...

...

...

..

.

_Something told me that the steak I was grilling on the stove was ready & I flipped them onto a plate of already done steaks, extremely satisfied with their appearance. I bet they were going to taste delicious but even if I liked it only one person's opinion really mattered..._

_I stirred my mashed potatoes, tasting them & smiling & removed the corn on the cobb from the boiling pot they had been in. The timer on the top oven went off & I pulled out the buttery buscuits I had made by hand, a sense of pride swelling my chest; they looked perfect! I checked my chocolate marble cake in the bottom oven, turning on the light so the heat didn't escape when I opened the door & grinned. Almost done. Now the only thing missing was-_

_I heard a key jam itself into the lock as the garage door closed & I quickly straightened out my maid outfit, smoothing the skirt & striking a seductive pose in my six inch heels. _

_"Wow, something smells wonderful in here..." I heard him mumble._

_I leaned against the counter & smiled as Naraku looked up from sliding his shoes off & setting his briefcase on the floor. His sultry red eyes looked me up & down & a lecherous grin took over his full lips._

_"Well...hello there" he rumbled & wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me in close for a heated kiss._

_"Did you have a good day?" I asked, my voice whispery & seductive._

_"It was alright but it damn sure is a lot better now" Naraku purred, fangs glinting in a sexy shit-eating smile. _

_He kissed me deeper this time, his lengthy tongue brushing mine & caressing the rest of my mouth. His hand slid from my face to my waist & lifted my skirt to cup & massage my ass. I didn't care to wear female clothing, especially not these damn heels that were crushing my toes, but damn it had its perks. I arched my back as he trailed his claws lightly up my spine, sighing softly when he grabbed a handful of my hair & tugged my head back before he dipped his head & placed open mouthed kisses & nibbles on my neck._

_My eyes fluttered open & I noticed my steak. "N-Naraku...I coo...I cooked..." I whispered._

_He hummed, untying the bow at my back. "I see. I really appreciate it baby but it can wait just a moment. I just want a quickie"_

_"B-b-but I made your favorite" I argued weakly. I hated when his kisses reduced me to a hot puddle._

_He leaned back & grinned down at me. "That you did. But you just look so damn tempting, you honestly think I'm particularly hungry at the moment?"_

_He pulled me closer so that I could feel his hard-on to bring his point across. My heart fluttered in anticipation & excitment._

_"I...I guess not"_

_He chuckled & reached over to grab a steak, biting into it. My dick jerked when he moaned, his eyes fluttering closed._

_"My God, Sessh, this steak is delicious"_

_I grinned as he grabbed a plate & fixed himself dinner, one of his arms still wrapped around my waist. He scooped up some mashed potatoe onto his index finger & held it in front of my face. I slowly took the digit in my mouth, giving him my best big eyed stare & sucked it off, licking my lips when I was done. I noticed him shudder in delight, his crimson eyes sparking & I restrained my grin._

_When he finished building his plate, which was staked high with mashed potatoes, three ears of corns, four buscuits & three steaks (he was totally lying when he was acting like he wasn't hungry) he pulled a chair from the dining room & sat down in it, placing his plate in his lap & crossing his legs. I started to sit down but he shook his head, reaching for the remote to the Bose sound system that sat in the living room & pressed play. The saxophone solo in the begining of Love & Pain by JMSN filled the air._

_"Dance" Naraku said in a rough voice, one side of his mouth lifting in a smirk._

_I hated dancing. With a damn passion. These heels weren't going to make it any easier either. But I had a persistant desire to please Naraku tonight. I took a deep breath & listened to the music for a moment..._

_**Say, baby...what do you want from me...? **_

_**(I'll give you anything)**_

_**Follow the river, it leads to bigger streams**_

_**(Your love is everything to me)**_

_**Cause my love runs deep as the ocean, oh, let's sail away**_

_**No one's gunna stop us now**_

_**You & me can face the love & pain...**_

_From watching countless Shakira music videos I tried to channel the moves from Hips Don't Lie at a slower pace. Who knows if I really pulled it off but judging by the look on Naraku's face, I'd say I was doing a fantastic job. I ran my hands slowly up my body & bent over in front of him when I reached my face, lightly rubbing my ass. I was thankful for all the collard greens Mother fed me as it gave my ass quite a plump shape that I & my ex-girlfriends were proud of. I grinned when I heard him hum in approval._

_I felt my skin grow goosebumps when the heavy bass dropped & the saxophone crooned. I slid my hands slowly up my leg & straightened, shaking my hair that I had taken the time to curl into waves earlier. When I turned around I was shocked to see Naraku had finished his dinner & had his elbows resting on his spread knees, his eyes so heated & seductive I wanted to do the nastiest things to him._

_He crooked a finger at me, licking his lips lathargically. I walked to him slowly in time with the music & he pulled me into his lap, his hands grabbing my ass roughly as he captured my lips into a rough kiss. I didn't mind. I loved it when he was rough with me. His large hand slid up under my skirt & teased my nipples before dropping to lightly stroke my hardened memeber. I let out a moan into his mouth, arching my back against his chest._

_He growled in approval again. "So hard for me already?"_

_My eyes fluttered closed as he ripped the confinding outfit off of me & his tongue lavished my chest. He hummed, his hips grinding up into mine, brows furrowed._

_"You taste so good, baby..."_

_He began teasing my nipples with his tongue, bathing them in his saliva before blowing on it. I shivered & groaned, clenching a handful of his hair. Between the hand that was caressing my thigh & his mouth on my sensitized nipples I felt like I was going to combust into flames, it felt so good._

_"Oh, Naraku..." the whisper slipped past my lips._

_He held me tighter & growled though I'm not sure if it was a sound of impatience but trying to prolong the foreplay for me or a sound to convey just how horny he was. I could certainly __**feel **__how horny he was through his pants. I gasped & bucked when he very gently ran his claws over my throat, pushing my erection into his chest. That did it for him._

_"Turn around" he growled._

_I hopped off his lap & obeyed, smirking when he smacked my ass._

_He chuckled darkly. "Daddy likes that"_

_I heard his zipper come undone & he pulled me into his lap, his dick instantly penetrating me. He groaned in pleasure while I let out a series of breathy soft moans, my hands gripping his muscular thighs._

_"Ohhh, baby that's nice" he moaned & held onto my waist as he bucked his hips with enough power to almost give me whiplash. _

_At first I couldn't even moan; my mouth just hung open as my mind tried to wrap around this powerfully glorious sensation. When it finally did I moaned loud, tangling a set of claws in my own hair._

_"Ahh...ah, Naraku, yes, baby...mmm fuck that feels...ooooh, daddy..."_

_He let out a loud purr as he sped up, reaching around to jack me off. "Say my name, Sesshomaru...say my mother fuckin' name, baby"_

_I cried out, eyes clenched shut. "N-N-Naraku-ooooh daddy! Oh daddy! Fuck me! Uhhh, ah yes...yeeees, baby"_

_I leaned forward so that he'd penetrate deeper & goosebumps rose on my arms when he began hitting some sweet spot deep within me. I let lose a loud moan that could've been taken as a scream but I didn't care; it was feeling unbelievably good._

_Naraku pulled me back roughly by my hair until my back was pressed against his chest & he stuck the fingers in my mouth that had been wrapped around my throbbing cock._

_"You like that shit don't you?" he growled huskily, "I bet you want more, huh?"_

_I whined, tears of pleasure shimmering in my eyes. I was getting ready to cum & I already knew it was going to be an awesome orgasm._

_"Beg for it, you sexy bitch" he commanded, wrapping the hand that had been previously gripping my hair around my neck, "Tell me you want this dick"_

_I moaned for a few minutes, eyes rolling before I pinned him with with a seductive stare. "Oh Daddy I want it...I want it, baby, give it to me. Give it to me, baby, fuck me-"_

_"Good boy" he whispered, smiling diabolically._

_"Uhhhh, fuck me, baby! I want your dick, daddy, give it to me!"_

_Naraku's thrusting got wild, causing my feet to come off the floor a few times. "Good boy, Sesshomaru!"_

_"Ahhh, uhhh fuck that feels good!"_

_"Tell me you want it, you sexy bitch"_

_"I want it! Oh God I want it so bad, baby, give it to me! __**Fuck me!**__"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_.._

_._

I woke up, find myself panting & a sweaty mess. The sun had gone down so the temperature had dropped but I felt like my body would let off steam if someone poured water on m-

"Ummm..."

I started at the voice & looked over to see Inuyasha giving me a strange look.

"What?" I breathed, noticing Kagura & Naraku giving me the same exact looks.

"Are you...alright?" my brother asked me, chuckling.

I frowned. "Of course I'm alright. Why would you ask me that? & what's so funny?"

_'Please tell me he's just asking because I'm sweating..."_

"Dude you were writhing & moaning like you was getting the best blow job of your life"

"Do you remember anything?" Kagura asked, smiling in excitment.

I could feel a furious blush rise from my collar to my face & into my hairline as I stuttered. "What...n-no..."

"You're so lying, dude" Inuyasha mumbled, laughing.

They shared a laugh at my embarassed expression. When they all calmed down Naraku turned & gave me a wink though I'm not sure what to think of the gesture.

"I bet you have a fantasy to talk about now" he said, grinning.


	12. Chapter 12

After dealing with the embarassment of having a wild sexual fantasy about another man & putting up with all the jokes, harassing & crude comments thrown my way they began dozing off one by one, Naraku stating they'd need the rest for the next morning to begin our trek to the city. I was beyond relieved that I'd get a break from the joking & was going to welcome the silence but all three of them were snoring louder than elephants having sex on a squeaky trampoline (you can blame Kagura for the squeaking).

I began to question my sexuality in my semi-silence though. I couldn't say for sure that I was gay but I couldn't deny my attraction for Naraku either. Did that mean I was only gay for him? I tried to deny that by remembering Inuyasha's explaination of being gay but in fact, it only clarified that I was indeed gay, at least for Naraku anyway. Did I want to be in a relationship with him though? I honestly couldn't say for sure. Did I want to have sex with him? That was definitely an affirmative.

My heart raced as I openly admitted to myself that I wanted to have sex with another man. The world really must be coming to an end for someone such as me to even think that. I thought back over all of my ex-girlfriends, trying to see if I was really as attracted to them as I was to Naraku. When I couldn't remember half of their faces or their names, my eyes widened.

_'Oh my God, I'm gay & didn't even know it...'_

Inuyasha kicked violently in his sleep, mutting something about, "No, you can't have my peice of chicken! The thighs are so much better than the legs!". I rolled my eyes & rubbed his torn ear to calm him down which he did after a few minutes. At least he wasn't having a nightmare; the last time he did he'd sleepwalked to my room & started hitting me upside the head with Mother's six inch stiletto, screaming accusations about me raping Barney. It had been four in the morning so needless to say I don't regret grabbing him into a headlock before I was fully awake & almost choking him to death.

He sighed softly & curled into a tighter ball, his snoring dying down to just heavy breathing. I smirked to myself, wishing he would always stay this innocent.

Naraku shifted, drawing my attention. He was now facing Kagura in the passenger seat, arms crossed over his chest as he situated himself into a comfortable position on the reclined seat. I hadn't noticed it before but he had some long eyelashes. For some reason I felt like running my finger across them to see if they felt as soft as they looked. He sighed in his sleep, his full lips relaxing & parting as his breathing evened out once more. I had to pinch myself to keep from leaning forward & pressing my lips to his, they looked so tempti-

I frowned. I was really embracing the gay thing & I was doing it a little too quickly for my tastes. I glanced back over at my little brother, swallowing the uncomfortable lump in my throat. What would he think about me being gay? A few memories of him calling his friends queer or accusing some guy at school of being gay while he was hanging out with his friends around the house surfaced & I cringed. Would he disown me or be ashamed if he found out his only living relative was gay? Honestly it shouldn't be that big of a deal...but it was. That was a huge step for me. & who knows: he might think his only guaranteed protection wasn't capable of protecting him anymore if I came out to him.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead wearily. It would be wonderful to believe that he'd still look up to me & trust me as his big brother & protector even if he knew I was gay but I wouldn't be surprised if he flipped out either. He never embraced (but wasn't necessarily hateful either towards) gay men before, why would he make an exception now?

"Can't sleep?"

I jumped at the rumbling voice, my heart hammering in my throat as Naraku shifted to glance at me. "I...Yeah, I can't sleep" I said quietly.

"What's on your mind?"

I swallowed, calming my heart down & frowned. "Um...just things. Random things"

"Like...?"

"My, aren't you curious all of a sudden"

He shrugged the shoulder that he wasn't laying on. "I can't really sleep either. Figured we might as well talk about _some_thing"

"Let's talk about you then"

He scoffed, smiling. "There's nothing interesting about me though"

"Are you gay?" I blurted & nearly face-palmed.

_'What the hell, brain?'_

He paused, pursing those lips as he watched me, thinking. "Why would you think I was gay?"

I looked away from his gaze. "I mean...the winks...the suggestive things you say...the looks you give me..."

Each one that I listed off made me feel like some little infaturated schoolgirl with nothing else to do except doodle her crush's name in the margins of her notebook & pick out names for their future children. Who's to say I interpretted his actions, his expression correctly? Maybe he winked because something was in his eye. Maybe he was just joking. Maybe...maybe he was thinking of someone else...I felt uncomfortable with the emotions that flared up in my chest at that last thought.

He sighed. "Sesshomaru, we were just drinking & having fun. I didn't mean anything by it"

"It wasn't just while we were drinking. You said you wouldn't let me be harmed right before we escaped & you told me you liked them fiesty"

"Just because I don't necessarily want you to be captured by the police & executed in front of a firing squad or torn apart by zombies, that makes me gay?"

I felt like sinking into a hole even though, much later, I noticed he didn't answer the second part of the question. I must look like a clingy fool to him. "Never mind. Forget I brought it up" I muttered.

He sighed deeply, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry if you felt like I lead you on or something. I didn't mean to come on to you or anything, I was just having fun"

I frowned, feeling heat smolder in my chest. "Just having fun? You think it's fun to play with peoples' feelings?"

He leveled me with a steady glare. "I'm not interested in men, Sesshomaru. I had a wife & a happy life. I'm sure you're a wonderful guy to be with & maybe if you were a chick..."

He trailed off as that started to become a little awkward, as if he was saying, "Maybe if you were a chick I'd date you but because you have a dick then it's a deal breaker. Maybe if you get it cut off then we could work something out though". Of course he didn't say all of that but how else was I supposed to finish that train of thought? It was just too suspicious.

"All I'm saying is I don't swing that way. I don't have a problem with you being gay but I'm not interested" he finished, getting more comfortable.

"Who said I was gay, Naraku?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry, you moaning another man's name & stroking yourself doesn't necessarily mean you're gay. That was ignorant of me to believe"

I had nothing to say to that. A furious blush rose from my collar & into my hairline & I crossed my arms, staring intently out the window. What did I see in this guy, exactly? "I'm going to sleep"

"Yeah you do that" Naraku muttered.

As I dozed off slowly, I heard him singing very softly. As deep as Naraku's voice was, whenever he talked softly, all you heard was the bass in his voice, not the words he was saying but now...now I heard every sweet note he sang.

"I tried so hard...can't seem to get away from misery...man, I tried so hard...always be a victim of these streets. It ain't my fault cause I...tried to get away but trouble follows me but still I tried to hard...hopin' one day you'll come & rescue me but until then...I'll be posted up right here rain, sleet, hail, snow. But until then I'll be posted up right here with my heat, gettin' dough..."

My last conscious thought was about how much better he sang it than Akon.

.

..

...

...

...

I woke up to the sun shining directly in my face & low talking.

"Alright, he's awake. Let's get cracking" I heard Inuyasha say.

I groaned & rubbed my face.

"Had another fantasy?" he asked, smirking.

I leveled him with a glare.

"Stop fucking around" Kagura commanded, "The sooner we start pushing, the sooner we'll get to the city"

There was a collective sigh & we all got out...then stood looking at the car with our hands on our hips, trying to figure out exactly how we were going to do this.

"Umm...I guess the guys can push & Kagura can steer...?" Inuyasha said uncertainly.

"Oh so you think just because I'm a woman I can't push a damn car?" she asked, frowning & turning to him.

"Wait, what?"

"Ok, ok. We're all demons here-" Naraku started.

"Half" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Three demons & one half-demon. All of us don't need to push the car"

"It'd be unfair to push a car while everyone else is just sitting in it, relaxing" I stated & Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"Well the ones not pushing or steering can walk. When the person gets tired of pushing then we all rotate" Kagura said simply.

"That's a good idea. Are we all in favor?" Naraku's crimson eyes settled on us & we nodded, "Now the question is who will steer & who will push"

"I'll push" I volunteered.

"I'll steer" Kagura spoke up. I don't think any of us were surprised that she was the first one to volunteer for _that _job.

& so our journey began: I braced my hands against the trunk of the car & gave it a shove & used its momentum to keep it rolling. Kagura kept a slack hand on the steering wheel, humming to herself & looking at her profile in the rearview mirror. Naraku & Inuyasha walked off to my right, talking every once in a while but their voices were too low to even hear. Still, I got a little nervous when they'd both look at me & grin.

I thought the car was going to be painfully hard work to push but it wasn't that bad. There was a moment when we came to a hill & I actually had to put my back into it. I think I even grunted a little at the effort, if Kagura making a little moan-like noise in the back of her throat wasn't anything to go by. All & all though it didn't make me feel like a slave doing back breaking work for several hours in the middle of August...but it did get really hot, really quickly.

By the time noon rolled around, sweat had plastered my shirt to my back & the front was wet from occassionally wiping my face. I pulled my hair over my shoulder to let my neck breathe but then it seemed like my head was getting really heavy. A few, maybe three or hours after that Naraku finally asked me did I need help. I had rolled my eyes; oh _now _he wants to help? But I gratefully straightened (which caused my back to pop like an old man's) & I took his place beside Inuyasha.

"How was it?" he asked, wiping the sweat off his brow.

I shrugged one shoulder. "It wasn't that bad"

"You pantin' like a dog in heat"

"Oh shut up"

He chuckled, slipping off his shirt & tossing in on the backseat (the windows were down). "I'm just saying. You're breathing like you just ran in a track meet"

"It is hot out here, you know"

He made a face as if he hadn't thought about that & silence fell.

Three hours later Naraku was grunting in effort, shoving the car with his shoulder through the soft dirt up a hill that had to be a forty degree incline. I asked if he wanted help but he only glared at me, his crimson eyes determined so I shrugged & kept walking. To be honest, I was thoroughly enjoying those grunts of effort. It sent my mind straight to the gutter with thoughts like: _'I wonder if that's how he sounds if someone was doing a good job giving him head_?' or _'I wonder if that's how he sounds when he cums?'_. It's amazing how quickly you submit to an idea once you finally admit it, huh?

As Naraku pushed the car over the top of the hill he gave a particularly loud grunt that had my eyelids lowering half-mast & heat washing over my abdomen. My thoughts were crowded with images of him spilling his seed, head thrown back in passion or hovering over me, those sultry red eyes rolling in-

I could nearly hear the brakes being applied as I stopped that train of thought.

_'Ok, look' _I told myself, _'He's straight. Just forget about him & focus on making sure Inuyasha is safe. Plus Kagura is more than willing to satisfy my every lustful desire'_

I didn't really feel much comfort in that though. Yeah, she was beautiful & had a nice body, not to mention she had a talented mouth & knew exactly what would turn me on. It's just...I don't know, I wasn't that into her. Not romantically anyway.

Once the car was safe from falling back down the hill Naraku straighten & lifted the tail of his shirt to wipe his face. My eyes automatically zoomed in on his abs...washboard abs...was that a tattoo peeking over the waistband of his pants?...oh how I loved a hairless torso...aww, he has an outtie-

"We still have some food left over from the gas station?" he asked, letting his shirt fall back into place.

I nodded & swallowed to moisten my mouth again. I'd really have to reel back the gay thing before it got out of hand.

By now the sun had set & we were all lounging in the car, munching & drinking the energy drinks I'd pick out. I even found a few sodas, which Inuyasha said he'd grabbed when Naraku & I had been talking. We mostly ate in silence with an occassional remark about how stale the food tasted or how it'd be nice to have some fried chicken & some macaroni right now.

When I finished I rested my head on the frame of the door, looking up at the sky. The stars were out again & they reminded me that we had come a long way since the night we went to check on Father. That felt like years ago but by my calculations it'd only been three months since we ran from home. I still felt the nostalgic ache in my chest but it wasn't as constricting as it used to be. I've always heard time heals all wounds but I've now come to realize that it never completely heals, you just make room for it in your life.

"Damn I wish I had my iPod" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Why, so you can listen to that awful dubstep that had women moaning in some of the songs?" I asked, giving him a side eye.

"Fuck you, dubstep is awesome, man"

"It's noise"

"It is to you because you're old!"

I actually reeled back a little from that comment. "I am _not _old!"

"Music only has two volume settings: too soft & the max. If it's too loud for you then you're old!"

Naraku chuckled. "Not all music is intended to be played at maximum volume, Inuyasha"

"Name two genres that don't! Exactly!" my brother snapped.

"Give him a chance to answer you bothersome neanderthal" I grumbled

"I told you 'bout calling me them names I don't understand you prick!"

"Alright, alright, calm down you two" Naraku said.

After a long silence Kagura excitedly clapped her hands. "Ooh, ooh, we should play truth or dare!"

I rolled my eyes. I knew where this was going. "I'll sit this one out"

"No! You have to play or sleep outside, 200 yards away from the car!" she snapped, glaring at me then at the other two.

"What? Rah you're crazy" her brother muttered, finishing off his Rockstar.

"You men need an incintive to play!"

"Truth or dare is so wack though! Not even kids my age still play that shit" Inuyasha complained.

"Play it or think of something else we can play before I kick you out the car!"

"How about the silent game?" I asked & grinned when she level me with a firey glare.

"Why are you being so damn pushy about it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because I'm bored & you guys don't ever wanna do nothing except sit around & fart!"

"& burp" Naraku added, then belched.

"& scratch our balls" Inuyasha threw in.

"& we still do more than you" I said & dodged the punch she aimed at my face, chuckling.

"Fine let's play the stupid game so Rah won't get her thong wedged up her asscrack" Naraku said, smirking.

"It's not already...?" Inuyasha muttered & yelped when Kagura flung an empty bottle at him, hitting him in the face.

The kumo nudged the vixen. "You go first"

She rubbed her chin in thought before turning to me, a shit-eating grin on her face. "Sesshomaru...truth or d-"

"Truth" I said automatically. I know if I said dare she'd most likely make me make out with her brother.

She sighed. "You're so boring. Fine, whatever. Is it true that you fantasized about Naraku the other night when we got drunk?"

I felt my heart plunge into my stomach & dread take its place. I should've _known _someone was going to ask about that! This game was really dangerous to my reputation. Just because I'd admitted to myself that I wanted Naraku to pull my hair & fuck my brains out, doesn't mean I want everyone to know that!

I sighed. It's going to come to light sooner or later. "True"

Inuyasha & Kagura burst out with whooping & cat-calls, rocking the car with their high fives & excited bouncing. I noticed Naraku giving me a strange look, like he couldn't understand why I had admitted it. I looked away quickly, a little uncomfortable. He was bound to find out my strong attraction towards him sooner or later, why not sooner?

I shook off the look. "Yasha, truth or dare"

He thought about it for a minute. "Dare"

"I dare you to stand in front of the car, like a couple of yards away & start singing the Stars Bangled Banner at the top of your lungs"

He gulped. "The whole song?"

"The whole song"

Naraku & Kagura chuckled darkly, egging him on.

He shrugged. "Fine, it's whatever"

He got out & skipped in front of the car a few yards before turning to us & placing his hand over his heart.

"We're going to be in deep shit if he attracts walkers" Naraku grumbled but there was still an excited gleam in his eye.

"Ohhh, say can you seeee! By the dawn's early liiight! Where's so...something we helped...at the twilight's last gleaming!-"

We had all began to snicker when he forgot the words.

"Who's broad strips & bright staaaars! Through the...something or the other fight! Or the land's...something, something...were so galantly screaming! & the rocket's red glaaaare!-"

His voice cracked on "glare" as he screamed the note & we started laughing out loud.

"The bombs bursting in aiiiir! Gave hoot through the niiiight that our flag was still theeeeere! Or Satan that's star bangled-"

We began laughing uncontrollably.

"Bed naaaaaair & waaaay! Or the land & of the-" he took a deep breath, "FREEEEE! & the home of the braaaaave!"

He sprinted back to the car, ducking in as if he was dodging bullets, panting like he'd just ran a marathon. I was bent over at the waist, laughing so hard my eyes were begining to water, Naraku had his head thrown back, hand against his eyes as his rumbling laugh rang through the car & Kagura was giggling madly behind her hand, her eyes glinting in mischief. It was a while before we'd calmed down enough to speak & by then Inuyasha was looking uncomfortably out the window, arms crossed across his chest.

"It's your turn, Yasha" I finally managed to say before breaking into chuckles again.

"Truth or dare, Naraku?" he asked impatiently.

Said kumo spent a few more minutes laughing, wiping his tears off of his cheeks. "Oh that was rich. Truth"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Pussy. Is it true that you fucked your sister?"

Immediately Naraku stopped laughing & whirled on Inuyasha so fast I didn't even blink & still felt like I missed something.

"Watch your mouth boy" Naraku snarled, lip curled back to reveal his vicious snarl.

"Come on now, Yasha, don't ruin the fun for everyone" I said, frowning.

He ignored me. "Oh touchy subject?"

"Just because your little ass got scared out there doesn't mean you can be disrespectful!" Kagura snapped.

"Hey I'm just saying, if I had a sister & she was that hot I'd bang her too. I ain't judging you"

There was wild movement as Kagura & Naraku lunged for him, he tried to dodge & I tried to intercept. We all ended up in a tangled mess on the floor between the backseat & front seats, Naraku still snarling & moving limbs out of his way to grab at Inuyasha who was burrowing himself deeper & deeper under the driver side seat.

"Ouch! You broke my nail!"

"Dude get your hand from that area!"

"I can feel your hot breath on my face, ewww!"

"Boy, get your hand out of my pocket!"

"I can't breathe!"

"Please tell me that's an elbow in my side cause it's going to get so damn awkward if it's not!"

We all tried to jerk in different directions but wounded up only making matters worse; the more we struggled the heavier the others seemed to get. We gave up after a moment, panting & groaning in discomfort.

"This floor smells nasty..." Inuyasha muttered.

"It's probably your upper lip, you filthy dog!" Kagura growled.

"Hey fuck you, freaky...freak!"

"Better watch what you say to my sister, boy" Naraku's deep rumbling voice came from somewhere under my ribcage.

"Whatchu gon' do, sic your dead wife on me?"

My heart stopped & my eyes widened. "Inuyasha!"

"He actin' like he's boss & shit, like someone 'spose to be scared of him or something just because he calls people "boy". I told you I 'on't wanna be treated like no fuckin' kid no more, don't call me a boy, _boy!"_

Inuyasha's speech pattern let me know that he was still indeed just a boy.

The silence that followed was pregnant with extreme tension & then I began to feel a little vibration under me that got stronger...& even stronger until it felt like the engine of the car was coming to life.

"Do you guys feel tha-" I started.

Then I was cut off by a furious roar & was thrown violently to the cieling where I dented it & landed heavily on the area behind the backseat, in front of the back windshield. My vision was slightly blurry & the back of my head was warm & wet.

_'What the hell just happened...?'_

I absentmindedly watched as Kagura went flying through the windshield, rolling off the hood of the car before she dropped to the ground & groaned in pain. & then I saw Naraku's red eyes glowing maliciously as he raised his torso & delivered a deadly elbow to Inuyasha's face, causing him to cry out. The growl that emitted from Naraku's mouth sent chills down my spin & no, it wasn't because I was turned on. I actually felt fear grip my heart as Naraku pounded Inuyasha mercilessly with punches, elbows & cuts from his claws.

Something in the back of my head screamed at me to stop him; I had to protect Inuyasha even if he was a fucking moron. But I couldn't move & I could barely see. I noticed Kagura standing & brushing herself off then she dashed to the side of the car & opened the back door, begging Naraku to stop. He ignored her completely. By now Inuyasha's face was pretty much a bloody pulp; I couldn't see any of his features.

"Stop it" I said but the kumo kept it up, "Stop!"

Kagura took a deep breath & she made a quick move with the palm of her hand to the side of Naraku's throat causing him to freeze & then fall on his side, unconscious. I was so relieved he'd finally stopped but I was still in shock; it all happened so quickly.

I began to feel woozier than before & an overwhelming urge to go to sleep pulled my eyes closed. Even as I struggled to stay awake so I could check up on Inuyasha blackness covered me & then the darkness conquered.

.

..

...

...

I woke up because I was cold & shivering. I frowned & opened my eyes only to find myself staring up at a spray of bright, beautiful stars. It was so pretty I had to wonder if I had died. Did the dead feel though? Wasn't heaven _amoungst _the stars & not under them? I'm sure hell couldn't look this beautiful (though it'd make more sense if I was there & not heaven). Whatever I was laying on was uncomfortable though. Surely this couldn't be heav-

I froze when something black approached me slowly. I raised my hands to defend myself only to drop them again. They felt like someone had injected cement into them, they were so heavy. Great, now I can't defend myself-

A familiar scent hit me...like dominant male & spicy apples...

Naraku crouched down beside me, the look on his face screaming concern &...confusion? He didn't say a word, he just helped me sit up & held a bottle of water to my mouth. Still feeling a little discombobulated, I drank it on auto-pilot, my eyes on his face. He looked so...sad, almost. No, not quite sad...regretful, maybe? I wasn't sure. I didn't like it though. It made me nervous.

I turned my head away when I was done & he shifted me so that I was laying on the ground again.

"Thanks" I muttered, feeling a little bashful.

I couldn't explain the look that come over his face. It was still kind of sad-ish or something similar but a yearning type of...hunger dominated his features. I felt my breathing begin to quicken as he leaned closer.

_'What the hell does he think he's doing?'_

His seductive burgundy eyes sparked & a growl emitted from his chest as his notrils flared. It wasn't a threatening kind of growl. More like a...an excited growl...

I wanted to say something but to be perfectly honest...I didn't want to ruin this moment. If I made a sound or even moved he might snap out of it & walk away while giving me a look like I had whispered in his ear that I wanted to lick his shit out of a toilet. I inhaled his scent deeply, my eyelids fluttering. As I exhaled I accidently laced it with a moan & Naraku's lips turned upwards into a devilish smile that nearly sent me into cardiac arrest. His tongue ran over his canine a few times while his lustful eyes searched my face & he slowly raised a hand to lightly trace my bottom lip.

_'What...the hell is going on? I MUST have gone to heaven!'_

While his digit ran across my lip he hissed as if it was turning him on immensely, his eyes following my tongue when I unconsciously licked his finger (I swear I hadn't meant to do it, it just did it by its self!). The growl got louder as the claw trailed over my neck & I gasped. That was my _spot_. Even my ex's knew that kissing me on my neck was the quickest way for me to stop whatever I was doing & pay them some attention.

I lost all train of thought when Naraku lifted my shirt up & slid his hot tongue over one nipple slowly. I arched my back, gritting my teeth to prevent myself from moaning. I had to be dreaming...that was the only explaination for all of this, right? Didn't he say he wasn't into-

I gasped again as he went to the other nipple, growl now ebbed down to a purr. He blew on the nipple, causing the saliva to become cold & took it in his mouth again. I couldn't help the small moan that slipped from between my lips this time. My limbs grew hot all over & I was able to lift a hand to run through his lustrous hair...but he pulled back before I could.

He came back up to stare at me again, his eyes bright & narrowed in lust. After running his finger over my cheek, he pressed his nose to my neck & inhaled deeply. I felt the delighted shudder run through his body & I was afraid I was about to burst into flames when he ground his hips down into mine. He hummed in approval & repeated it then slid that hot tongue up my neck.

"Ah! N-Naraku..."

I grimaced when my voice sounded so loud; even Naraku paused for a moment, like he was listening in case someone came looking for us. Matter of fact, where were our siblin-

Naraku's hand wandered down to massage my throbbing cock & I lost my train of thought again. I was about to burst an artery in my neck, trying keep myself from moaning as loud as I wanted.

_'If I'm alive...this must be a dream...it just has to be...'_

He began nibbling on my neck, still massaging my dick in that maddening, lathargic kind of way. I wanted to just push his head down there so he'd give me a blowjob but something told me he would definitely not appreciate that. When he sucked on my pulse point my back arched higher & I gasped, my hand unconsciously coming up to tangle in his hair. & then he stopped.

Both of us froze & then he lifted his head slowly, looked at me with a look of panic & stood abruptly, brushing imaginary dirt from his pants & refusing to meet my eye.

"Had to be sure you were alright" he said gruffly, "Sorry about throwing you like that. I just lost it..."

I had to clear my throat before I spoke. "I understand. Where's Kagur-"

"They're over there" he said nodding to some point I couldn't see since I was lying down, "Come on"

He held his hand out & helped me up, all without looking at me. When I was fully standing, I blinked a few times to wave off the fuzzy feeling in my head. How the hell long had I been lying down? I must've been out for quite a while to be feeling like this.

"How long was I asleep?" I whispered.

He looked at me then & his features went from uncomfortable & awkward to...hypnotized &...lustful. I felt my eyes get big & butterflies erupting in my stomach as that deep purr emitted from his chest again & he pulled me to him. What was wrong with him tonight? I am by _no _means complaining but he'd done a complete turnaround. It just seemed to be happening too fast.

He had begun to slowly lean towards me but he blinked & snapped out of it before clearing his throat & stepping away from me so quickly I felt a little insecure.

"Not long, few hours" he muttered & walked away, his hands stuck in his pockets.

_'What...the hell?'_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_.._

_._

_I feel like I rushed the last part but I'm having a hard time transitioning! Like I have several ideas for future chapters but I can't get from here to there smoothly so it's getting a little choppy & the storyline either gets rushed or drawn out. I wanted to post this though & not keep you guys waiting but if you have ANY suggestions, constructive critism, comments, ideas, anything I'd be happy to hear it =D_


	13. Chapter 13

**To the anon who was disappointed that Sesshomaru just kind of overlooked that Naraku beat Inuyasha's face in: Weeell...hmm...it's not that he overlooked Inuyasha necessarily, he just kind of understood where Naraku was coming from. He somewhat sort of _did _forget about it when Naraku came onto him but only because it was so unexpected & he was so disoriented after waking up that it was really the only thing that occupied his mind. He specifically told Inuyasha in an earlier chapter not to bring up his wife's death & then he did it anyway in such a rude manner so he wasn't going to really bitch at Naraku about it. But thank you for pointing that out, I'll try & clear that up once the dust settles =]**

**Pardon any errors; I honestly didn't feel like proofreading it today xD**

* * *

><p>Now that the windshield had been busted we had to figure out if the car was still worth pushing. We wouldn't have to carry all of our things &amp; we'd have a place to sleep but we'd still be cold, we'd be even more uncomfortable than we were before &amp; if it rains, we would be screwed.<p>

Kagura rubbed her shoulder, rolling it & grimacing as she sighed. "Jeez, Naraku"

"Sorry" he mumbled for the hundreth time tonight. He refused to look at me for the rest of the night, his hands still shoved down into his pockets, body language defensive. I left him alone. I didn't really want to try & figure out what the hell happened when I woke up. If I thought about it too much-

I swallowed, forcing my thoughts out of the gutter before I got turned on.

Inuyasha sat alone a little ways off, on top of an electrical box. His bottom lip was busted & he sported a puffy black eye & broken nose among various other cuts & bruises though he didn't seem to be in much pain. I was still very shocked at what he said to Naraku & it pretty much went without saying that Naraku was still pissed with him. I shook my head as I sighed before walking over to him. He looked up at me for a moment before resting his chin on his raised knee again.

"I don't need a lecture, Sessh" he muttered miserablly.

"You do know your comment just made everything that much awkward & tense though, don't you?"

He sighed heavily. "Yeah"

I shook my head again. "Why?"

"I don't know, man. I just got...I got caught up in my anger & I...I don't know, I just said it without even thinking"

"Did you apologize?"

When he didn't answer I ran a tired hand over my face. "Yasha..."

"How come it's ok for you to act out on _your _emotionsbut it's not ok for me too?" Inuyasha snapped, frowning at me.

"What? Yasha, I didn't insult anyone!"

"Kagura gave me this disgusted look right before I passed out when we were running from the cops! She really hates me & I think it's because she thinks I'm weak because I have panic attacks!"

I wanted to slap him but instead I just clenched my hands into fists, my jaw muscle flexing. "That is totally different, Yasha. You can't help that you have panic attacks-"

"Just like I'm sure you'd defend yourself for having a temper tantrum & say that you couldn't help it!"

"Inuyasha you must be stupid if you don't realize that these are two totally different subjects! I felt _sorrow_! I did not react out of anger like you did! I didn't insult someone by poking fun at someone they cared about! I told your dumb ass not to say shit about it because he was still grieving now thanks to you bringing it up in such a rude & disrespectful way he's hurting again, not to mention pissed the hell off & you've made it just _that _much more stressful trying to survive until we get to that damn city!"

Halfway through my rant I noticed tears brimming in his eyes. My heart ached but it was something he needed to hear.

I sighed. "Just because Mother & Father aren't around anymore doesn't mean you can be disrespectful to anyone just because they annoyed you"

He inhaled sharply & held his breath to restrain the sob that bubbled up his throat. My heart broke as tears raced down his face & he gave me such a hurt look I felt like crying myself. "I'm not stupid!" he shouted, & got down off the box.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I didn't say you were stu-"

"You don't understand how much shit I had to go through in school, being called stupid & inferior by demons who thought they were the shit & I _was_ shit!" he shrieked & ran off.

_'Fuck...'_

When I thought back over what I said, I cringed. I hadn't meant to call him stupid, I had just been frustrated with his reasoning & it just kind of came out that way. I heard footsteps behind me & turned to see Kagura looking at me uncertainly.

"Where'd the brat run off to?" she asked, rubbing the cold off her arm.

I rubbed my forehead, trying to ward off the headache I could feel on its way. "I upset him so he went off to be alone. He just needs to cool off"

The uncertainty never left her expression. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"He'll be fine"

Silence fell before Kagura shifted her weight to her right foot. "We decided to leave the car. It won't do us any good anymore"

I nodded. "So we re-pack everything & take off tonight?"

"We'll rearrange everything so we don't have to carry individual items & then take off in the morning"

I nodded again & was surprised when she laid a gentle hand on my arm. "I understand you're stressed, we all are" she whispered, "But don't be so hard on yourself. Of everyone you're the one that seems to carry all the burden"

I blinked in surprise when she kissed me gently. "Kagura, I-"

"Get plenty of rest tonight" she said quietly, patted my arm & wandered back over to Naraku who looked away from me as my eyes settled on him.

I understood that he was embarassed by his behavior in the car & when he & I were alone but I had an urge to go over there & talk to him. I had to find out if this was just one of his "Oh, I'm just having fun" pranks or if it was...no...I'm pretty sure he didn't do all of that because he was into me. Why would he lie to me about being interested in men? He'd been married to a woman just a few weeks before I came along. Maybe he'd hit his head or something while I'd been unconscious but I don't think he had a change of heart. Still a little voice inside me was just screaming that I knew the trut-

_"Oh my God! Sessh!"_

I jerked my head up to see Naraku & Kagura with looks of panic on their faces &, without thinking, sprinted in the direction Inuyasha had disappeared off to. My heart was pounding in fear & in guilt; I shouldn't have let him run off like that. In my rush I hadn't even grabbed a weapon but I didn't care about that right now. My eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly as I ran as fast as my legs would carry me.

_'Where the hell is he? How did he get so far away from us...?'_

I stumbled as Inuyasha screamed again. "Yasha, I'm coming!"

I saw dark shapes all crowded around a door to a little corner store & the smell of rotting bodies hit me hard in the face. I had to swallow several times & slow down to a jog before the nausea passed.

_'Please God...let him be ok, I'm begging you, let him be ok...'_

His screaming was becoming more desperate now & that prompted me to begin sprinting again. I snatched up a thick branch & stabbed it into the head of the zombie I was closest to. That drew the attention of the surrounding zombies, who snarled & turned their claws towards me. I struck several more zombies that came too close for comfort .

"Yasha! Are you alright?"

I wacked a zombie in the head, crushing its skull & listened closely for anything but didn't get a response. I did hear hear wheezing (I could only hope it wasn't these stinking zombies creating that noise) so I could only hope it was him. I skittered out the reach of one zombie, only to be trapped in the arms of another. It squeezed me so hard I couldn't inhale. It growled closed to my ear & got ready to bite me until a shot ran out, the thing jerked & we both fell to the ground. More shots popped off around me as I scrambled to my feet, relieved to see Naraku standing there with his feet planted as he picked off the zombies one by one.

I nodded my thanks to him & looked around for that familiar white head. "Yasha! Yasha, where are you?"

I searched around the area where the zombies had been gathered, calling my brother's name. I tried the door to the store but it was locked so I banged on it with the flat of my hand.

"Yasha? Yasha, come on, open the door. It's ok now, I'm here!"

Inuyasha's white head & even whiter face slowly peeked up from where he'd been sitting on the floor. When his eyes settled on me he flung the door open & flung himself into my arms, shaking like a lone leave in a harsh wind.

"Sessh...oh my fucking God I was so s-s-scared..."

"Don't ever run off like that again" I whispered, kissing the top of his head, "Are you alright?"

Even while he nodded I began checking over him, wiping the drying blood off his arm & checking his torso. I wasn't able to breathe properly until I found that he didn't have any bite marks, just some scratches & bruises on his arms (I wasn't sure if that was from escaping the zombies or the beating Naraku gave him). I pulled him in for another hug before turning to Naraku who was looking at us, Kagura by his side with a bloody crowbar in her shaky hands.

"Thank you" I said quietly.

Kagura nodded & took a shaky breath before walking off to where the car was. Naraku shifted, stuffing the gun into the waistband of his pants.

"I did it because you were in trouble, not to save the brat" he growled, red eyes glowing in the dark which caused my heart to stutter.

Inuyasha made enemies with the wrong guy & Naraku made sure that he knew it.

.

..

...

...

That night I tried to convince Inuyasha to sleep in the backseat of the car by himself since this was going to be the last night we'd have the car & I felt he should have room to stretch out but he refused, too paranoid to not sleep by my side. I sat back there with him, feeling uncomfortable since Naraku & Kagura decided to sleep in the car as well. The tension was so thick I was surprised Inuyasha was able to sleep.

Kagura tried to strike up a conversation but it died after a few minutes & after a long, awkward silence she went to sleep, leaving me & a still angry & confused looking Naraku awake. I'd be the first person to say I wasn't scared of _any_one...but I'll admit (only to myself) that Naraku intimidated me. Even when we fought those last two times I felt just a bit intimidated but I wasn't going to back down. But the look in his eyes now...they were very serious & hatred filled them to the point that I don't think he'd hesitate to kill me if I pushed him. So I decided to stay quiet.

I tried to make sure I didn't make eye contact with him in the review mirror but I couldn't help glancing up every once in a while. While I felt uneasy around him while he was this angry I had to admit he was also...very sexy. His lips tilted downward, creating frown lines that I found attractive for some reason. The area between his eyes crinkled in a scowl & his jaw & cheek bones stood out, making his eyes even more intense. The few times we did make eye contact I felt that familiar hot liquid roll over my lower abdomen before I looked away quickly.

Even if I wanted to talk I had nothing to say. The first thing that popped into my head was apologizing on Inuyasha's behalf but for some reason I got the feeling he'd either tell me to shove it up my ass or get angry all over again. Or what if he just didn't want to speak? It didn't matter what I'd say, he'd just get irritated with the sound of my voice. From the look on his face that registered deep concentration on whatever was going on in his head I don't think he wanted to talk-

"You look like you have something to say" he said abruptly, causing me to lose my train of thought.

I swallowed to dampen my mouth. His voice was so deep & rough, I felt a delighted shiver run over my arms. "No, I was just thinking"

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked at him a long time before I answered. "I wondered if I said anything would that irritate you"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You look so angry I figured you were deep in thought & that you didn't want to be bothered with conversation"

The look on his face softened & he smirked but he didn't say anything.

"I understand though. I'm the same way when I get upset: I don't want anyone talking to me nor do I want to hear anyone talking"

He nodded slowly, eyes glazing over.

"I mean I didn't want to make you feel like you _had _to talk or anything. I know there's probably a lot on your mind & all-"

"Sesshomaru...stop talking" he said softly.

I swallowed thickly. I knew I had been rambling & it made me cringe but I couldn't stand the awkward silence.

I watched his face carefully as emotions flickered across his face like someone changing the channel on a television: anger, confusion, sadness, lust & then it all repeated in no particular order. What I'd give to be able to read his thoughts...but it's probably best if I didn't. His expression settled on pain before he swallowed & looked at me in the rearview mirror.

"Can you really be so concerned for me after I beat your brother's face in? Or are you faking it because you understand...how much pain I felt when he said that?"

I blinked several times, my eyes widening. Understand his pain? But I hadn't lost a spouse & then had someone practically rub it in my face. "Losing one's parents...is different from losing one's spouse..." I whispered uncertainly.

"But you still lost loved ones"

"...& no one has said anything hurtful to me about their deaths"

He smirked, looking down at his lap for a moment. "So it's not that you understand, as in you can relate to it, it's just that you're so much more rational, yeah?"

I only blinked at him & he chuckled.

"Remember the first house we went to & I went into that room?"

I nodded slowly. "You came out looking like something had scared you"

There was a short silence while he looked out the shattered windshield, worrying his bottom lip. "It didn't necessarily...scare me...it just affected me so greatly...on an emotional level. I know these monsters don't descriminate against...the people they bite but...I just hadn't expected to see two elderly people, dying from the horrible bites on their necks & sides. I think what affected me the most was that...they were holding on to each other...like Jack & Rose in Titanic or something...they were looking so lovingly into each other's eyes like...like they weren't about to die"

I felt an ache in my chest as I swallowed. "So...they were still alive?"

Naraku nodded so slowly I wasn't even sure if he'd really even moved. "Just barely. They didn't even pay attention to me as I walked into the room. I wasn't important. The only thing that was important to them...was each other"

I sat & mulled that over for a moment. That was beyond sweet & sad to have witness. I can't imagine what I would've done had I seen that scene.

"It made me wish..." he whispered, "I had let my wife bite me & wandered the earth with her forever"

I frowned. "As a zombie the only thing that would be on your mind was food, not, 'I'm just happy I don't have to live without my wife', Naraku. You wouldn't think, you wouldn't feel, you'd be a monster, just as you called them"

"But I wouldn't have to suffer" he whispered. He sounded so hurt I automatically reached out & laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I doubt she would've wanted you to be undead though, Naraku" I said softly.

He took several deep breathes, his hands clenched into fists. "Let's go for a walk" he said finally & we slipped out of the car.

We didn't go far at all; the car was only a jog away in case we needed to get there quickly. Our pace was very lathargic & relaxed, our hands in our pockets as we stared at the passing ground under our feet. We walked in a big rectangle in silence, lost in our thoughts. I had begun to wonder why he wanted to come out here before he spoke.

"I can't count how many times I wanted to kill myself" he whispered.

I looked over at him to see his red eyes dulled to a dark burgundy as he was still lost in thought.

"I couldn't ever go through with it though. I'd sit in the chair instead of kicking it out from beneath my feet, I'd throw the knife across the room instead of sliding it down my wrist, I'd aim the gun at the ground & began to hate myself because I couldn't find it in me to shoot myself in the temple" he let loose a dry chuckle, "Sad, huh?"

"It's a good thing you didn't" I replied.

He scoffed. "Why? Because some god has a "plan"-" he made quotation marks with two fingers on both hands," for me? Oh yeah I'm sure that's it. Some diety is just watching over me & mapping out my life & I'm going to end up preaching to a bunch of kids one day about my tramatic experiences, trying to convince them not to go down the road I wandered down. I can _totally _see that happening"

I wasn't sure what to be more surprised with: the fact that he was only thinking of himself or that he just said 'totally'. "No. Because Kagura needs you Naraku"

He sighed deeply. "I know. But she's grown, she doesn't need me"

"Just because your sibling is an adult doesn't mean they have no more use for you. You think she would've had the courage to come out there & swing on zombies tonight had you not been there?"

He didn't respond; he just kept walking.

"Do you honestly think she'd have come along if you weren't there as her support?"

"She came for you" he muttered.

"Because she _likes _me. But she _loves _you. I don't know if she came because she was afraid to be without you or because she wanted to make sure you'd be ok, possibly both, but she wouldn't have been able to hold it together if you weren't here for her"

He stopped walking, face set in a confused scowl. I noticed he wasn't by my side so I turned around to give him a questioning look but he didn't move nor did he say anything; he just simply looked at me as if I had asked him what did energy equals mass times the speed of light squared mean. I shifted my weight as I became uncomfortable under his intense gaze & even more so when he began walking to me; I had to force myself not to take a step back as he came within two feet of me.

"You worry about things that are not within your control" he whispered & goosebumps shot down my arms.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about" I said softly.

"Yet you don't think about yourself. I bet you don't even know what your youki wants..."

I frowned deeply. What was he even talking about? 'What my youki wanted'? I was about to ask what the hell he was talking about until I felt a stirring deep within me, like what I imagined having a baby in my womb would feel like. I felt an unexplainable..._power _flow through my arms, power that my youki had never displayed before. It reached my fingertips then surged down to my feet then travelled up my shoulders & made my vision bleed red. My youki was taking control of my body.

_'Let me show you...' _it whispered in my head.

My arms wrapped around Naraku's neck & I leaned forward into a slow, heated kiss that sent tingles all the way down to my ankles. Naraku's strong arm wrapped around my waist & the other hand cupped my cheek to hold me to him. I felt like chocolate on a sidewalk in the middle of the summer in Las Vegas. A moan slipped from my lips & into his mouth when he ran his fingers through my hair. Ohh, this man...the things I would do to & for him just for him to keep doing that...

The kiss ended way before I was ready & his demon-possessed eyes twinkled in amusement when I tried to follow him. I wanted to whine; I felt like I'd lost a barely eaten particle of food all because I dropped it on the ground.

He chuckled at my expression. "**We will have plenty of time to continue in the future. Be patient**"

As his eyes melted back to its usual red irises & my vision cleared back to normal we both stood staring at each other. How...extremely...awkward...

"So...I think our youkis are...attracted to each other" I whispered.

Naraku nodded, the shock on his face dissolving before he slowly let me go. "I guess so"

We both looked at everything except each other, completely awkward & speechless. When the hell had this happened? Why didn't my youki make me aware of this beforehand? I mean sure I probably would've stayed my ass in the car had I known this would happen. But that sounded like I regretted what happened & Lord knew I did _not. _I was glad Naraku wasn't angry or anything though; matter of fact he just looked like he was thinking about something pleasant, judging from the little smile on his face.

"What do we do now?" I asked, feeling the sleep coming on.

He shook his head & sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I really don't know. I guess we keep it under wraps for now. Don't want to add anymore stress to our siblings or anything"

I nodded in agreement. "So..."

"Yeah we can go back to the car now"

We both chuckled as we walked in a comfortable silence back to the car where we slipped in as quietly as we could & settled into comfortable sleeping positions. When we bid each other good night I could've sworn I heard Kagura sniff but it could've just been my imagination. I was tired, it was normal to imagine things. Still, I felt uneasy as I drifted off to sleep.

.

..

...

...

Things were quiet as we packed up everything & took it out of the car. I'm not sure if everyone felt awkward about all the events yesterday, if everyone was tired or if everyone was just mentally preparing themselves for the journey ahead. When I asked Inuyasha if he was ok, since he still looked awful from the beating he took he only scoffed & shrugged me off, telling me not to worry about him so much. I smirked slightly but my heart wasn't in it: my little brother was trying to grow up too fast.

Naraku & I made eye contact every once in a while. His expression was unreadable but then again I'd look away so quickly I guess I didn't have a chance to really read it anyway.

I hefted the duffel bag of weapons higher up on my shoulder & waited for the group by the hood of the car. I could already tell it was going to be a hot day by the lingering muggy fog that hung low to the ground. Sweat beaded on my arms & forehead already & it only had to be about nine in the morning. The weather was just not going to cooperate with us this season.

I watched Naraku warily as he bumped Inuyasha's shoulder rudely, successfully moving him out of his way. When Inuyasha turned his head to protest, battered face scrunched into a fierce scowl, Naraku turned his head & bared his fangs at him, eyes glowing a fearful red & Inuyasha swallowed & continued packing. I sighed, rolling my eyes upwards. It would be too much to ask but I sincerely hoped we could get to the city without those two getting into another fight.

Kagura yawned widely & threw back the rest of her Rockstar. "You get any sleep last night?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "I got enough to get me through the day, I guess. Not as much as I wanted"

She sighed heavily. "I'm going to miss sleeping in a car. We're going to be sleeping on the ground until we get to that city"

"Let's hustle then" Naraku muttered, hefted the bag on his shoulder more securely & began walking down the road.

The journey was very long...& painfully boring. The sun beat down on us like relentless slave masters & the heavy bag wasn't making it any easier. I guess I was getting out of shape; I was out of breath after a mere three hours. I used to be able to lug two 310 pound sandbags & run suicides up & down the football field for at _least _six hours before I even slowed to a jog. I sighed. I used to have the most awesome body in the entire school, as sculped & defined as my body was. Now that I grown a couple of inches I was more lean instead of muscular & my six pack laid flat.

I sighed again before shrugging. At least I didn't have a potbelly. Ugh, God forbid...I would kill myself if I let my body get that bad. My eyes wandered over to where Naraku was ahead of us. He had nice sculpted shoulders...& I had seen his shredded abs the other night, which were impressive...I wonder what he'd look like with his shirt off...? I bet I wouldn't be disappointed. Without meaning to my eyes dropped to his ass & I tilted my head absentmindedly as I watched the fabric of his pants glide over his globes. Oh he had a nice ass...very squeezable...

"Fuck..." Kagura drawled, "I'm tired Naraku, let's rest a while"

He glanced back at her without stopping. "You're fine"

"I know I'm fine but I'm _tired_"

He sighed heavily & stopped, dropping the back to the ground. "Fine, let's rest then"

The only place to take shelter from the sun was a shack that looked like it'd tumble to the ground if we breathed on it, not to mention I think we all were uncomfortable with how creepy it looked. There was a little tree a few yards in front of it, where I took shelter though it had no leaves to shade me. Inuyasha collaspsed beside me, his face contorted in pain, exhaustion & being uncomfortablly hot.

"How's your face?" I asked, pushing his bangs back to look at his eye which was starting to turn yellow as it healed.

"Feels like someone beat me with a bag of nickels" he muttered, twitching his ears to cool them off.

I chuckled. "You should feel better by tonight"

I watched Kagura & Naraku talking quietly, occassionally glancing at the shack as if they were thinking about taking a look inside. I'd already made up in my mind I wasn't going in when I first laid eyes on it, they couldn't say anything to convince me otherwise.

Kagura nodded & walked over to us. "How do you feel?"

She's directed the question at me & Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm fine, thanks"

She acted as if she hadn't even heard him. I sighed. "Fine. Why?"

"Naraku says he doesn't feel comfortable here. He was hoping to move on once you were feeling rested"

"No, no, it's fine, we can go cause even though I feel like shit I'll be ok" Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Shut up" I mumured to him before I faced her again, "Sure, I guess we can keep it moving"

She glared at Inuyasha a moment before she ambled back over to her brother to grab her share of the baggage. Even though we rested all of about three minutes (if that long) I actually felt a little better though an air conditioned area & some iced tea sounded really good right about now. I stood & stretched my arms over my head, liking that feeling of lactic acid making my muscles feel tight in my legs & shoulder area. By the time we get to the city, if I could keep this up, I'd be looking quite nice.

Inuyasha stood slowly & while he was yawning his busted lip cracked & a thin river of blood ran down his chin. He rolled his eyes & sighed. "I just can't get a damn break"

"Had you not opened that damn mouth of yours you wouldn't have that problem" I noted.

Just as he was getting ready to say something the door to the shack burst open & zombies flooded out, running straight towards Inuyasha, their arms outstretched. I froze in fear before dropping the duffel bag & searched frantically for a weapon.

"Sessh! Oh fuck!" Inuyasha yelled.

My hand wrapped around the bottle of hair spray. Should I grab it then look for the flame thrower? Would I have time to grab it & execute it before the zombies reached us? I glanced up, judging the distance. If I couldn't find that flame thrower within the next four seconds we'd be finished.

"SESSHOMARU!" Kagura screamed.

My fingers twitched frantically around the different shapes & sizes of the cold metal in the bag & I grit my teeth in concentration. Where is it...where is it?

"Sesshomaru! Sesshomaru, what the fuck are you doing!" Naraku shouted.

_3 seconds..._

A gun. Should I pull it out? I couldn't remember if Naraku loaded it with bullets yet. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to hurry & decide if I should grab the gun or not.

_2 seconds..._

I don't think we had enough bullets to take all of these zombies out & even if we did we'd be out by the time I took care of them all.

"_SESSH!_" Inuyasha shrieked.

_1_

I snatched the flame thrower up. "GET DOWN!" I yelled to Naraku & Kagura & pulled the lever then aimed the spray from the hair spray in front of it, causing a massive tongue of flames to spurt out & wrap all of the zombies in a blistering inferno. I kept spraying, sweeping it side to side as the rest of the zombies came closer. If you think rotting flesh smells bad can you imagine how awful rotting _burnt_ flesh smelled? It was actually painful to breathe in the scent; I wanted to throw up, cry & pass out all at the same time.

When the last burning zombie tumbled to the ground & stopped moving I let up on the lever & spray can, panting & trembling. That was a really close call; I was lucky I'd made the descision quickly. I wanted to pat myself on the back but honestly my arms felt like lead now. I dropped the gas tank & spray to the ground.

"Oh...fuck" Inuyasha whispered breathlessly then quickly snatched up his things, "Let's get the fuck out of here"

Naraku & Kagura both stood while I packed the flame thrower & bottle of spray back in the duffel bag & we all sped walked out of there without looking back.


	14. Chapter 14

**I lost track of the days so I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update! Thank you guys so much for your feedback. I appreciate it so much because I was honestly about to put this story up for adoption (when an author lets someone else finish their story anyway they like). I'd gotten bored with the plot & felt like I'd lost all inspiration. But your reviews helped so, so much. You guys are awesome =]**

* * *

><p>By the time Inuyasha was panting &amp; wheezing we felt safe enough to slow down. I watched him closely for any signs of a panic attack as he set his bag down &amp; put his hands on his knees but he took slow, deep breaths, brows furrow in concentration. His lips moved as he repeated something over &amp; over to himself &amp; I smirked, feeling a sense of pride that my little brother was learning how to control his panic attacks.<p>

I caught Kagura giving Inuyasha a worried glance before she turned to me, her hand over her heart.

"Are you alright?" I asked her, & she nodded wordlessly, her eyes still wide in shock.

"So apparently their noses are far better than their ears" Naraku said, turning to us.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"We'd been talking for a while before they came running out like starved dogs presented with a buffet table"

"But what did they smell?" Kagura asked, frowning.

Inuyasha straightened. "My blood"

When Naraku only narrowed his eyes at him & Kagura still looked a bit lost he explained further.

"When I yawned my lip cracked & it started bleeding again"

"But they can hear gunshots from miles & miles away" she stated.

"Guns are loud" Naraku deadpanned & she shrugged one shoulder.

"So blood sends them into a frenzy..." I said more to myself but everyone nodded.

"We have to be more careful" Naraku stated, sending another glare at Inuyasha before turning, "Let's keep moving"

The sun had just sunk over the horizon when we finally found shelter in a cozy house. We (very hesitantly) searched it, steeling ourselves for a forgotten zombie or dead bodies but all we found were dead insects so we relaxed (even though Kagura was freaking out at the large dead spider on the kitchen counter. It was pretty intimidating though...).

I lounged on the sofa while Inuyasha combed his fingers through his hair, grumbling about the knots. My hair had lost some of its shine but thankfully, it had yet to get knotted up though running a brush through it would make me feel better. I'd looked in the bedrooms for one but didn't find one which I thought was strange. Whoever had lived here must have packed up & skidaddled before trouble ran amuk.

"Anyone want any Frosted Flakes?" Naraku asked from the open kitchen.

"Is there milk?" I asked.

"Yes..."

I rolled my eyes. "Is it spoiled?"

"Yeah"

I sighed. "I'll take a bowl of dry cereal then"

"Come get it yourself, I'm not a butler" Naraku retorted, chuckling.

"Jackass" I responded, standing & grabbing a bowl from the cupboard.

The house hadn't been abandoned very long. There were still appealing bananas & apples in a fruit bowl on the counter beside the refridgerator & besides the milk, everything in the fridge still looked edible. I grabbed a container of what looked like spaghetti but turned out to be lasagne.

Naraku loomed over my shoulder. "That looks good"

His rumbling voice had me looking over my shoulder & we stared at each other for a long time as I watched the lustful fire flicker in his eyes. He tucked part of his bottom lip under his fangs before letting it fall back into place, his eyes narrowed in amusement. My heart rate picked up.

"Before you two start making out can ya put the lasange in the microwave first?" Inuyasha asked.

My eyes grew big. _'Did we make it that obvious?'_

Naraku's lips turned upwards into a crooked grin & he took the container from me before popping it in the black microwave & pressing the 5. It started up & the container began rotating. I had to force my eyes away to keep from staring at it like a hungry dog.

Kagura sighed dreamily from her reclined position on the sofa. "Why can't we just stay here?"

"Because we'd run out of food eventually" Naraku answered.

I noticed he was staring almost sadly at the dead spider on the counter. "A loved one?" I asked, jerking my chin in its direction.

"Fuck you" he grumbled & I chuckled.

I watched him gently sweep the arachnid into his hand & carry it outside where he laid it in the grass & piled a handful of dirt on top of it. After he held his face to the sky & murmured something then walked back inside I opened my mouth to apologize but he only held a hand up, shaking his head slightly.

"It's fine" he murmured. He didn't seem sad or even upset. Just solemn, like he was at the funeral of someone he didn't know very well.

"How long are we staying?" Kagura asked.

"Just tonight. We have to get to that city as soon as possible" he answered, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed.

She groaned. "Aw man..."

The microwaved beeped & I took the container out. Everyone grabbed a plate & fork & we dug in. The middle was a little cold but I didn't feel like putting it back in the microwave, as repulsive as it was. I was just too hungry to wait any longer. Everyone was too busy stuffing their mouths so there was absolutely no conversation, just smacking, grunting & burping, the last of which made Kagura's nose scrunch in disgust at her brother.

I patted my belly when I was done & set my plate in the sink & was getting ready to spend the rest of the night relaxing on the comfortable chair in the corner with the matching ottoman until Kagura let out a cry of disappointment.

"I _know _you're not just going to leave that dirty plate there" she said, pointing her finger at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I actually was"

"Um, no sir, you need to wash that plate because that's just rude"

"Woman, who is it being rude to?"

"Whoever owned this damn house! It's bad enough we ate their food, now you're just gunna leave dirty plates? Really?"

I rolled my eyes. "If anyone should wash the dishes, it should be you"

Her mouth fell open in horror, her brows furrowed in anger. "Excuse me? & you two shut it!" she directed the last part at Inuyasha & Naraku who were snickering.

"You're the woman of the house, your place is in the kitchen" I said with a grin.

"Fuck you, sexist dog!" she shrieked & flung her empty plate at me which I dodged easily.

"Calm down, feminist Fiona, we'll all clean our plates when we're finished" Naraku said with a chuckle.

I wiped off my plate & fork then set them in the black dish drainer by the sink. I thought about washing the container the lasagne had been in but I figured whoever was last could do it; I usually wasn't this lazy but I felt like I had an excuse this time. I hadn't realized until now that I was worn out physically & mentally; all I wanted to do was take a hot shower & curl up in a comfortable bed. My heart skipped a beat: we'd have beds to sleep in tonight!

When the dishes were washed & put up everyone sat in the living room in silence. It was very comfortable; I could almost imagine this being one of our houses & we had come here after a long night of partying. If only that was our reality nowadays.

"What I said the other night..." Inuyasha started, his voice quiet, "Was really awful. I could say I'm sorry all night & it probably wouldn't mean anything to you but I really am. I was being selfish & I'm sorry I caused you pain"

For some reason Naraku looked at me before looking at Inuyasha. His eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

"You just need to think before you speak" Kagura said sternly, "You don't realize how words affect people, especially during these stressful times"

"No, I do know. That was the reason I'd said it. I knew that was the one thing that would hurt him & so I-"

"Let's just change the subject" Naraku interrupted, his voice low. I saw the pain return to his eyes as he looked at the floor, his fingers twiddling with the ends of his hair. I realized he was becoming uncomfortable with the attention.

I said the first thing that came to mind to break the awkward silence: "Right now, I'd be watching The Office"

Everyone gave me strange looks for a moment then Kagura scoffed. "The American version was awful. They made Michael a damn idiot"

"Did you know they were making an American version of Misfits too?" Inuyasha asked.

Her mouth dropped. "What? Aw hell they're going to fuck that up too! Why do they feel the need to Americanize it? The British version is perfectly fine"

"Not to mention the characters are irreplaceable" I added.

"Exactly!"

"The girl who played Alicia was hot" Inuyasha said with a smile.

"The guy who played Nathan was too. I bet they'd make beautiful babies" Kagura said with a dreamy sigh.

"I watched it just to listen to their accents" Naraku rumbled before letting out a huge yawn.

"We should get some rest" I said.

"There's only two beds though" Inuyasha pointed out & I shrugged.

"Then we share with our siblings"

"But Naraku kicks in his sleep!" Kagura protested.

"I do not!"

"You do! The last time you fell asleep beside me you kicked me so hard I had a bruise for two weeks!"

"At least I don't mumble & dig my boney elbows into peoples' sides..."

"You jerk!"

I smirked as I watched them bicker for a moment. "Alright fine. Who ever doesn't want to share with their sibling will sleep on the couch"

"But what if they want the bed just like us?" Inuyasha questioned.

I sighed. I swear these people thought I had all the answers. "Work it out amoungst yourselves"

I stood & got ready to walk back to where the beds were until Inuyasha shot up from his position on the floor a few feet from me. "Where you think you goin'? I'm gettin' the bed!"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Yasha, you get the sofa"

"I'm getting the bed, Sessh, I don't care what you say"

When he took off down the hall I couldn't resist the chase & shot after him, grabbing him by the collar just as he reached the doorway. He struggled, grabbing onto the frame as I pulled him back.

"Fuck!" he shouted though it sounded like, "Fak!"

"These are only queen sized beds, Yasha & I'm taller so I need the room" I said rationally & flicked his arm so he recoiled in pain & let go of the frame.

He howled as I pushed him aside & tried to close the door in his face but he wedged his foot in the door while pushing it with his shoulder.

"You're about as skinny as a half starved streetrat, you don't need that much damn room!"

I frowned at the comparison. "I'm not skinny! I have muscles!"

"Move out the fucking way already! I don't have time for this!"

"I'm sleeping in this bed now shoo"

He gave one last shove & I heard a loud _CRACK! _We froze, thinking someone or something was still in the room. When I looked up the door was split all the way down the middle. I sighed as Naraku & Kagura came to investigate.

She scoffed. "You guys are so disrespectful of other peoples' houses"

"He started it!" Inuyasha protested.

I set the broken door on the floor & slipped out of my shirt before collasping on the bed. "Outten that light on your way out" I grumbled.

Inuyasha mumbled, still too stubborn to go sleep on the couch but after a few hours of me stretching out all across the bed & mock-snoring so loud my throat had begun to hurt he let out a frustrated sigh & stomped out. I bet he would've loved to have slammed the door just to be an ass & it made me smile.

.

..

...

...

I woke up to the smell of bacon & when I opened my eyes it made my eyes sting when I realized I wasn't in my room & this hadn't all been some freaky dream. I sat up & sighed, running a hand over my face & through my hair before getting up & washing my face. The water was so cold it woke me right up & I realized a shower sounded really great right about now. I searched through the dresser & closet & found a white wife beater & some dark grey sweatpants. I sighed again when I'd realize I'd have to free ball; I refuse to wear someone else's boxers & unless I could find some fabric softener & laundry detergent I'd have to chuck mine.

I turned the faucet on, stripped while I waited a few minutes for it to heat up & stepped into the hot water. It was so glorious I moaned like the women on the Herbal Essences commercials. I grabbed a bar of soap on the little dish by my knee & rubbed it into the cloth I got from the bathroom closet then ran it over my skin. The water was so hot my skin was red but I didn't even care; it just felt so good to be clean again!

I sang happily as I stepped out, dried myself & stepped into the fresh clothes. I felt like the guy I was before the outbreak, the guy that got all the girls & a wink would have them passing out & swooning. I couldn't help smiling at my reflection in the mirror.

My head raised as I approached the kitchen, sniffing the wonderful fragrance that cooking bacon, sizzling sausages & browning pancakes made. Inuyasha sat at attention while he watched Naraku & Kagura cook, only sparing me a glance.

"Hey asshole, I'd hoped you ripped your esophagus with all that fake snoring you did but I guess not"

I flung a pillow at his head. "Good morning to you too punk"

Kagura glanced up from the bowl of eggs she was beating. "Hey. Did you have a good time with yourself in the shower?"

I winked at her. "The best"

I grinned when she blushed & ducked her head. Naraku waved at me over his shoulder, using the other hand to spear the sausages that were done onto a plate. My stomach gave a loud growl & sat to force myself to be patient. It'd be ready any minute now.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked Inuyasha who was practically drooling.

He nodded once. "All things considered. The sofa is actually really comfortable"

"& you two?"

Kagura turned to pour the eggs into a small pot & began stirring it with a few slices of cheese. She turned her torso towards me. "I slept pretty good. A hell of a lot better than I ever did in the car"

"Same" Naraku responded, "You?"

"I slept well, thanks. That shower was icing on the cake"

"Surprised you still had hot water to wash with, considering how long we all took hot showers" Inuyasha murmured & I grinned.

"You wanted me to shower with cold water huh?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "We can't all have what we want"

"Wait, you snore?" Naraku asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Kagura gave him a look that clearly said what I was thinking: _'You are so late'_

"Like a damn chainsaw" my brother answered.

I rolled my eyes. "I only did it to have the bed to myself"

"So...you like to sleep alone?"

Naraku's tone of voice made Inuyasha & I give him a questioning stare & when the silence got too awkward the kumo shrugged & needlessly rearranged the plates of sausage & bacon.

I felt some type of way about that question. It was like he was hoping I'd say that I didn't like sleeping alone. I wasn't sure if I wanted to say no to save my reputation or yes & hurt his feelings. This thing between he & I...it seemed to be moving too fast & not fast enough at the same time. I wanted it to go farther but it was too early, not to mention I still wasn't very comfortable with the whole fact that he was...well, you know..._a guy_.

"Breakfast is ready, you guys" Kagura announced & Inuyasha shot from his position & was waiting for Kagura to move so he could get some eggs within seconds.

She gave him a strange look before stepping aside & he shoveled a mountain onto his plate.

I sighed as I took only two spoonfuls of eggs, two sausages, a few strips of bacon & two pancakes. I wasn't really a nibbler like my mother had been but I wasn't a pig like Inuyasha. I just filled my plate & that usually held me until dinner. I probably could eat just as much or more than Inuyasha; our metabolisms were so fast we'd burn through a doule whopper with cheese just running in a circle. I just chose not to.

We all sat in the living room & ate in semi-silence again. I guess it'd just be more appropiate to say it was void of conversation because there were plenty of belches, smacking & grunts to let the cooks know it was delicious. The bacon was a particular favorite of mine; I ended up eating at least twenty strips before I realized everyone else only had three or four. I offered them more but they shook their heads so I took the rest. So much for trying to get back into shape, eh?

When everyone was finished eating & we'd gathered all the food we could handle in grocery bags, we bid farewell to the house & were on our way again.

.

..

...

Late in the afternoon we ran across what used to be a little city. We still had so much food leftover from the house we left this morning & to be honest we didn't feel like carrying anymore but Naraku figured we could get some clothes & some necessities (like a toothbrush because if Inuyasha blew his funky breath in my face one more time I was going to lose it).

I strolled through an Abercrombie & Fitch, glancing at the selection of jeans. Most of their jeans weren't long enough to fit me comfortablly but every once in while I'd run across some that fit. I picked out some darkwash jeans & a lighter version & slipped them into my duffel bag. I happened to see a sign that said 50% off plaid shirts & got excited until I realized I wasn't paying for any of it anyway.

I noticed Kagura across the room, humming as she held a cute dress up to her body in the mirror. I grinned & snatched a red & black, black & white, & purple, black & white plaid shirt off the hangers & folded hem into the duffel bag as well.

"This is so cute on me" she murmured to herself.

"You should get it" I said off-handedly, running my hand over a cotton pull over that I kind of liked.

"You do? You don't think it'll be too short?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "Only one way to find out"

She giggled cutely & started to undress. I was about to tell her to just go in the dressing room but I just sighed & turned my back to her to give her privacy.

"Aw, why so bashful? It's not like you've never seen me naked" she cooed.

"It's just a matter of respect" I replied.

After a few moments of russeling she cleared her throat & I turned around...& had to force my jaw from falling to the ground. The dress looked like it was made for her. It was a cute pink & brown polka dot babydoll dress that made her breasts look bigger & it showed off her flawless legs. It looked too cutesy for someone like her but it looked so nice at the same time.

She twirled, grinning. "Ya like it?"

I nodded. "It's pretty cute. You should get it"

She giggled & twirled some more before she decided to change back into her previous clothes. I grabbed the pullover, boxers & some ankle socks before I deemed myself finished.

A few buildings away I found Inuyasha walking out of COSTCO with a buggie full of junk food (mostly chips & cookies). He grinned & waved goofily when he saw me & I shook my head.

"You're going to push that baggie all the way until we get to that city" I told him sternly.

He waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'll be thankful I picked up your favorite chips & granola bars"

"Granola bars?" I cried, digging furiously through the piles upon piles of ramen, boxes of Capri Sun, Hot Pockets & other junkfood & found my granola bars sitting at the bottom, looking so pretty & innocent. I snatched one up, unwrapped it & sighed happily as I bit into it. I haven't had one of these babies since high school.

Inuyasha scoffed. "You act like it's wrapped crack"

"It got me through many practices & long work outs"

He rolled his eyes.

"Hey where's Naraku?"

"Think he went in that hair store over there. He's been in there for a while"

"Go catch up with Kagura at Abercrombie & Fitch & I'll meet you guys"

"Cool"

I wandered over to a beauty store where I found Naraku reading the back of a bottle of shampoo. He made a face & put it back & grabbed the one beside it before he grinned & dropped it in the hand basket at his side. His basket was already full of conditioners, moisterizers, shampoos, elastic hair holders & something to enhance wavy hair. If I didn't know any better I would've thought this was a normal day before the outbreak & he was just a guy that was obsessed with keeping his hair healthy.

"Yo!"

Naraku glanced up at me & waved. "You need something? They still have a pretty big selection"

I glanced down at the basket that was close to overflowing. "So...all that is for you?"

He nodded. "Yeah I go through a whole bottle of shampoo in three washes so I gatta get more"

_'He now has no room to talk if he ever calls me a pretty boy again'_. I grabbed my own basket & began walking up & down the aisles. I grimaced when they didn't have the products I'd loved before the outbreak. That meant I'd have to get something else but I was too skeptical it wasn't going to make my hair turn out so well. I chuckled to myself as I realized how I sounded. Who was I trying to impress? I'm sure the female zombies could care less how my hair looked.

_'Kagura would care' _a little voice said in my head. I knew it hadn't been my youki when it growled irritably, as if it wanted to curse the little voice out.

That's right: it was attracted to Naraku. So much had been on my mind between that time & now I had nearly forgotten what had happened between us. My cheeks heated as I remembered in detail & found it awkward looking at Naraku now. What the hell was I supposed to do when my youki was attracted to another male but _I _just wanted sex with a woman? Under different circumstances maybe I'd date Kagura but too much was going on in our lives now & I was not concerned about a relationship, not even with Naraku.

_**'Naraku can satisfy us in ways Kagura can't even begin to comprehend' **_my youki hissed.

_'Hush'_

My head jerked up at a loud noise & my heart skipped a beat & went from 0 to 60 in .2 seconds as I watched Naraku stab a pair of hair trimming scissors through a zombie's forehead then quickly skipped out of the arms of the zombie behind it.

"Let's get the hell out of here" Naraku said, tossing a wig at the zombie's face to distract it, & we took off running down the street.

"Inuyasha & Kagura are over by the Abercrombie & Fith store" I said hurriedly, pointing in the right direction.

We rounded the corner to find our siblings battling zombies as well, Kagura wielding a baseball bat & wacking zombies in the head with so much force most of the time she broke their necks & Inuyasha using an impressive crossbow with hunter's camoflauge trimming. They both spared us a glance as we approached & seemed to relax a bit while they continued fighting.

"Are you guys alright?" Inuyasha called, imbedding a bow into a zombie's eye socket that ran up on me.

"Yeah we're fine. Let's get out of here" I said & we took off running, the noise from the rattling buggie attracting even more zombies.

"You need to do something with that loud ass buggie!" Kagura snapped.

"We need food, damn it!" Inuyasha replied.

"We'll split up & meet over there behind the COSTCO! Go!" I shouted.

We all went in different directions, drawing most of the zombies away from Inuyasha & that annoying buggie. The few that continued following him paused before continuing but I wasn't worried; he could handle that. I spun around for a moment to see how many were following me & felt dread weave through my limbs when I saw that half had broken off to follow me. I guess I was more appetizing but I didn't take it as a compliment.

I knocked over some trash cans in front of a toy store to slow them down. When I glanced back & saw that most had tripped over other zombies or the trash cans I darted behind the building & came around on the other side to find them looking around in confusion. I ran as quietly as I could back the way I'd come & had to duck into a child's clothing store when a pack of about fifteen zombies ambled by. I watched them carefully as they raised their heads to try & catch a whiff of our scent, praying they couldn't smell me. I wasn't sure how pungent that soap was that I used in the shower.

Just as the last zombie wandered off something grabbed me by the arm & I whirled, ready to smash its face in with my fist until I recognized Naraku. He was panting, his eyes darting back & forth.

"You just got here?" he asked me in a whisper.

I nodded. I noticed his facial expression looked strained. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine"

Just as I was getting ready to point out why he was rubbing his chest we heard a gunshot & we froze. We looked at each other before our eyes slowly dropped to the duffel bag I had set on the floor. Kagura & Inuyasha didn't have access to any guns (that we knew of anyway) so that could only mean-

"There's someone else out there" Naraku whispered, his eyes widening as he unknowingly finished my train of thought.

"We have to go check on Inuyasha & Kagura" I said & hefted the duffel bag up on my shoulder.

"Wait! W-wait a moment" he murmured & began taking deep breaths, closing his eyes.

I watched him curiously & cautiously as he continued doing that for about five minutes, every once in a while massaging his chest right above his heart. Occassionally he would grimace & I'd reach out to him in case he needed help but then he'd relax & I'd go back to watching. What was wrong with him? I was sure he would tell me but now I was starting to get anxious. Was he about to have a heart attack? Had he felt one coming on? I personally wasn't familiar with symptoms of a heart attack so I was pretty lost. Then it hit me: _had he been bitten?_ My heart stuttered as my eyes widened. How long did it take for a person to turn into a zombie? Would he die first? I noticed his shirt was bloody but I couldn't tell if it was his own or the zombies that he killed.

He opened his eyes & glanced at me. "Heart palpitations" he said in a low voice.

When I only tilted my head & frowned he smirked.

"Sometimes my heart does this thing where it feels like it skips a beat. Makes me feel like I'm about to go into cardiac arrest. It forced me to resign from the S.W.A.T team"

My eyebrows raised. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked. It's not like I can just come out of the blue & say, "Oh hey Sesshomaru, mind watching my back while we take down these zombies? I need back up in case I have a heart palpitation". Even for me that's a bit too random"

I grinned at his attempt at humor & felt relieved when he took another, steadier breath & stood. "Come on, let's go"

I peeked around the corner &, seeing that the coast was clear, dug out a gun from the duffel back & nodded to Naraku. We kept to the shadows, pressing ourselves against buildings when zombies wandered by. It was long & tedious but eventually I saw COSTCO & noticed a shadow crouched beside it. When I squinted I didn't recognize it as being Inuyasha nor Kagura & pointed it out to Naraku.

"Do you recognize that shadow?" I whispered.

He stared for a moment then shook his head. "That person's hair is too short to be either of our siblings"

The shadow shifted & I saw them slowly cock their rifle.

"Should we confront them?" I whispered.

He paused before cupping his hand around his mouth. "We're peaceful travellers. We only came to get some food & clothing. Mind putting that gun down?"

The shadow froze & glanced behind it quickly, gesturing as if it wanted someone to come over. Finally it laid its gun across its lap. "Do you have anyone else with you?"

"Yes, it's me & three other people"

"Are you armed?"

He looked at me & I shrugged.

"No"

There was another long pause then the shadow stood, gun still in hand. "Look, I'm trying to protect my family & friends here & we'd just feel safer if you & your people just left here as soon as possible"

I frowned. "Hold up, who said this was your territory?"

"We did! We guarded this place long before you people got here"

"& yet there were still a large group of zombies that you failed to eliminate so that shows just how well you guys _guard _this place"

There was a moment of silence. "I didn't say this place was free of zombies. We were pretty sure there were still some locked up in the stores & whatnot but we were willing to leave them there"

"That's not effectively guarding your territory!" I snapped.

Naraku placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "Look we just want to get our siblings & go anyway. We weren't planning to stay here for a long time in the first place"

The shadow turned it head & stared at something behind it, shifting its weight for several moments. "We haven't seen anyone else besides our people around here"

Naraku gave me a look like he didn't believe the guy & I frowned, one side of my lip lifting in a silent snarl. He had to be lying.

"Then who or what were you shooting at?" Naraku asked.

There was another long, drawn out pause & Naraku shook his head irritatbly & looked at me. "Get a gun, this bastard is lying"

I handed him a pistol & took out a silver glock for myself.

"We're going to dart over there-" the kumo whispered, pointing to the building where the shadow was currently standing beside, "& try to sneak up behind him. I need you to cover my back"

I nodded & he took off running at a crouch. I followed him after a few minutes, turning my head along the way. I'd hate to use this gun & attract any walkers but I really hope this would be fast so we could get Kagura & Inuyasha & get the hell out of here. I stepped around Naraku & settled into a kneel. When I peeked around the back of the building my throat closed as I regarded four heavily armed men, standing around, looking uncertain as Kagura & Inuyasha sat between them. I could see Kagura was reeling in pain & Inuyasha's face was bloody.

"What do you see?" Naraku whispered.

I swallowed. I could only pray Naraku wouldn't run in there, guns blazing & wind up getting shot. "They have Kagura & Inuyasha guarded by four armed men"

"How are they? Kagura...& Inuyasha I mean" I ignored the way he said Inuyasha's name through his teeth, like it was difficult for him to even utter the name.

"Um...Inuyasha's face is bloody. They're both sitting on the ground, back to back-"

"How's Kagura though?"

"She...she looks like she's in a lot of pain"

I glanced at him when a threatening growl emitted from his chest & his eyes narrowed in hate. "Can you see what kind of injury she has?"

I glanced back around the corner. Both of our siblings had their legs stretched out in front of them & some kind of cloth over their mouths to prevent them from yelling for help. As my eyes swept over them I didn't see anything out of place until my eyes focused on Kagura's right leg. Why was it lying like that...?

"I think her leg is broken" I whispered & Naraku growled a curse under his breath.

"I'm going to rip every single one of their heads off" he snarled, fangs glinting dangerously.

"Wait, wait, Naraku, we have to plan this out. If we just barged in there they might shoot Kagura & Inuyasha"

"Then I won't give them a chance to"

Before I could stop him Naraku stood & walked calmly towards Kagura & Inuyasha, shooting anyone who dared moved (which was everyone). I gritted my teeth & covered him, swinging my gun left & right as I backed up. The shadow of the man we'd been talking to previously came around to see what the hell was going on, his dark eyes wide. He was the only one left by the time he made his appearance & Naraku stalked up to him, the gun aimed at his forehead.

"H-h-hey man, w-wh-what the hell?" the guy stuttered.

I checked the perimeter for any survivors & then ran over to our siblings to cut the duct tape off of their mouths & untie their hands. When I got around to Kagura, she screamed as I gently took the duct tape off, tears of pain streaming down her face. Her leg really was broken, blasted right below her knee by a bullet. Her shirt was ripped down the front, exposing her black lace bra & her pants had been undone. I was glad we'd made it before they raped her but I wish we could've prevented her from being shot.

"Oh God it hurts so much!" she cried.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry but I have to pick you up" I told her quietly.

I stood with her in my arms bridal style, tensing as she screamed. Naraku glanced over his shoulder for just a second, his eyes full of worry. "What did you bastards do to her?"

"W-w-we did nothing, man! Honest!" the man cried, raising his hands.

Naraku snarled, the air around him crackling from the demonic aura filling the air & the guy began to whimper.

"I s-s-swear-"

"Did you touch her?"

"N-n-no! No, sir, I did not-"

"Did _they?"_

"Uh...w-w-well-"

"You lied to us you lowly insect!" Naraku growled & the guy's face turned a sickly white.

"I-I-I-I...I c-can explain-"

Naraku pulled the trigger & embedded a bullet in the guy's forehead, causing his body to drop lifelessly, his head bouncing off the ground once. The kumo stood there for a moment, shoulders haunched, hands closed into fists. I shifted Kagura carefully over my shoulder, wincing when she screamed right in my ear, & pushed Inuyasha's bangs back to inspect his face. Minus a cut across his cheek & a re-busted lip he seemed fine.

"Are you alright?" I asked him quietly & he nodded, rubbing his wrists.

"I'm sorry. We could've gotten away had the assholes not shot her. We were so close to getting away from them..."

I brought his head to my chest & kissed the top of his head. "I'm just glad you both are alive"

Naraku stalked back over to his, his eyes still glaring in hate, body language stiff with anger.

"Should we stay or leave?" I asked him cautiously.

His eyes raised, pinning me with a look that sent dread down my spine. I'd never seen such a stare with so much murderous intent; it kind of scared me. When he noticed how uncomfortable his look was making me his facial expression softened & he exhaled slowly. "We leave. We'll arrive in the gated city tomorrow & then we can find her help"

I nodded & he held his arms out for Kagura, who was crying helplessly. She could barely cry out at the pain moving her from my arms to her brother's caused her & my heart ached for her. Naraku's eyes completely softened & he shushed her softly, kissing her forehead. I look away as he cooed to her, telling her to calm down & that he was there. It made me think about all the times I had to calm Inuyasha down from his panic attacks & I felt a newfound sense of relief for his well being. Our siblings meant the world to us right now. They were like our children & we'd do anything to protect them. No one was going to take them away from us & we'd make sure of that.


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm not even going to make any excuses...I just suck at remembering when to update *_***

**Pardon any mistakes. It's 2:15am & I've had a long day *sweatdrop***

* * *

><p>Kagura passed out a few hours after we cleared the city. I winced at her every scream &amp; my heart broke at the pained expression Naraku wore, a helpless, pained kind of look, tinged with sorrow &amp; anger. Inuyasha was silent for once, walking by my side the whole time. When I ruffled his hair he didn't push my hand away irritably like he usually did, only looked up at me with tired eyes &amp; gave me a very small smile. He must have been through so much in that short span of time when we split up. I'd have to talk to him later on.<p>

Naraku shifted Kagura's sleeping body from bridal style to over his shoulder for a few hours before I began to notice he was out of breath, his eyes closing for a moment before opening & glaring out across the horizon like he was gathering energy somewhere inside himself to keep moving.

"Maybe...we should go back to get the car, Naraku" I said hesitantly, knowing he'd probably flip out.

He panted for a moment, fangs bared in exhaustion. "That's too far, Sesshomaru..."

"& none of us particularly want to push that son of a bitch" Inuyasha murmured.

"What if we find a gas station?" I questioned.

"Who's to say we can still get gas out of it without paying?"

Naraku took several deep breaths. I could see his hands shaking slightly; he was reaching his limit quickly. "If..._if _we find a gas station...& we can all agree on pushing it all the way here...we'll go get the car" he replied.

"That's almost a day's walk just to get to the car though" Inuyasha said, frowning.

"We don't have a deadline, plus a car would be fast enough to make up for lost time" the kumo muttered & hiked Kagura over his shoulder.

"Do you need help-" I started.

"No" Naraku said abruptly before softening, "No thank you. I got her"

We spent the rest of the day trekking miserablly across the plain. A cold wind had whipped up in the late afternoon, causing us to sink our heads between our shoulders. The temperature dropped drastically & the next thing I knew we were shivering & ghostly white.

"I-I think we s-should go b-b-back to the car, man" Inuyasha stuttered as his jaw chattered, "W-w-we left the blankets in it"

Several shudders raked my body before I was able to speak. "We...we have to think about Kagura, Narak-ku"

Naraku stopped walking, his arms covered with goosebumps & his teeth chattering as he lowered his eyes. "I am t-t-t-thinking about her" he said softly.

"We gatta g-go back" I said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "At l-least she'll be warmer"

"H-hey, what's that?"

Naraku & I looked at Inuyasha before we looked to where he was pointing. My eyes widened & my knees felt weak with relief as we laid eyes on a gas station about a quarter of a mile away. I couldn't fist pump or do anything to show how glad I was to see the station so I settled for a weak smile in Naraku's direction.

"C-come on, let's g-g-go get the c-car"

_..._

_..._

_..._

_.._

_._

The walk back to the car was painfully slow, long, tiring & boring. Absolutely nothing happened. I'm not sure if I could consider that a good thing, since we were all cold, exhausted & hungry (even that buggie full of that junk food that brat picked up sounded good right now) or if I should consider it a bad thing since there was absolutely nothing to stimulate the mind. Switching Kagura's increasing weight from my shoulder to my arms drained my energy earlier on; I don't even know how I got to the car. I gratefully slipped her in, nonetheless, & sighed, sagging against the door.

Sesshomaru grabbed a blanket out of the trunk & brought it over to me. I frowned in concern at how pale his face was & his bow shaped lips had a blue tint to it

_'That blanket won't warm him up before he suffers from hyperthermia...'_

When he held it out to me I grabbed it, laid it in my lap then held an arm out to him.

He frowned. "W-w-what?"

I beckoned him with my hand. "C-come here. You're f-freezing"

"Naraku-"

"Come here" I said firmly.

He stood there for another minute before slowly sitting beside me & leaning against my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him & brought him close to me, laying his head in my chest. I wouldn't dare admit this even to myself just how long I've _longed _to hold him like this. There were so many nights I'd wake up while we were all sleeping in the car & he'd be having a nightmare, panting & breathing hard, his shirt wet with sweat. My heart went out to him when he had these nightmares. I wanted to run my hand over his face & calm him down so many times but I'd wind up pretending like it wasn't making my heart ache that he'd been through something so tramatic he was having nightmares about it. Sesshomaru didn't seem like the kind of person to have nightmares.

He finally relaxed enough in my arms so that it didn't feel like holding a mannequin. I grinned when he sighed softly, like he was comfortable & rubbed his freezing cold arms.

"Feeling better?" I murmured.

"Yeah...t-t-thanks" he whispered.

That stupid brat came back around the side of the car & looked at his brother & I cuddled up, his eyes going wide for a minute before something similar to disgust taking over his face.

"Sessh" the boy said & Sesshomaru glanced up, his body tensing.

_'Too late to try & make it looked like something questionable'_

"Wrap Kagura up with you so she doesn't freeze" he said after a moment before settling back against me, his body still rigid.

The brat stood there for a moment, his foot tapping the ground impatiently before he scoffed & went around to the driver's side to pull Kagura in his lap.

I enjoyed the silence, lulled into a state very similar to sleep but I could still see & hear everything. Sesshomaru now had an arm around me, the other hand resting on my chest. This was such a comfortable position, lying with him against me like we'd just finished making love. He was so damn gorgeous & the funny thing was, I don't even think he realized just how desireable he was. Before he came along I would've never considered a man as a partner, _ever. _I'd been married to a woman for five years prior to him sauntering into my life & filling the hole her death left in me. Kami knew I loved that woman with all of my heart but Sesshomaru...this man did things to me I'm not sure I'd be able to say for fear of sounding cheesy.

Sesshomaru shifted, turning his head so that his opposite cheek was against my chest & sighed softly in his sleep. I froze when somehow my hand ended up running gently over the smooth skin of his cheek. How did that happen? Last I remembered that hand was resting on his back though I do remember it twitching, wanting to lift his shirt & touch his skin.

I think I was falling for this man. I don't know how it happened, when or just how serious it was but...I wanted him. The only problem was I don't think he felt the same. I wasn't comfortable with his demon forcing him to kiss me; yes, it was flattering but that was just too complicated. I wasn't going to lie & say his lips didn't make me melt into a hot puddle of desire but if he didn't feel the same about me as I felt about him there would no point would there?

Sesshomaru made a noise in his sleep that sounded very similar to a growl but when I looked down & found my hand now combing through that silky hair of his I realized he must be purring. I grinned; he did like when people played in his hair, huh? I put a little more force in my hand as I massaged his scalp & the purring got louder. He unconsciously rubbed his face lovingly into my chest, his arm holding me tighter.

I had to stop. We were progressing way too fast in our...relationship? No, that wasn't the word but I couldn't think of any other word for it. Anyway, this was going too fast & after I told him to his face that I wasn't interested in men this action would make him mistrust me. It was true: I wasn't interested in men...just him.

I vaguely registered that brat's snoring coming from inside the car while I stared out across the horizon. Despite being so emotionally tired, angry from earlier today & physically exhausted I felt so at peace. Could I blame that on this beautiful creature of a man lying against my chest right now? The rhythm of his breathing easing me & his heart beating out a soft melody lulled me into such a deep state of peace I hadn't even noticed when I fell asleep.

...

...

...

...

..

.

_I sighed through my nose as I came to. Something warm & wet slid up, down & across my abdominal area. The sensation gave me a shock at first but then I came to realize...it felt quite nice..._

_A little hum vibrated in my throat & the warm wetness paused. "Good morning" said a soft, husky voice._

_When I opened my eyes the sun prevented me from being able to see anything but a silhouette. Still I'd recognize that halo of silver hair from anywhere._

_I closed my eyes, smirking. "Good morning yourself. I see you're off to an early start"_

_"You were taking to long to wake up..."_

_"You were the one who had a raging libido lastnight AND this morning. You had me up until five this morning, baby"_

_"Are you complaining?"_

_"Hell no"_

_I heard the familiar chuckle that never ceased to send delighted shivers down my spine. "I thought so"_

_I stretched & ran my fingers through his hair, smirking when he purred._

_"Oh Naraku..."_

_Now that my eyes had adjusted to the sunlight I opened them to look down into those lovely golden eyes, which were flecked with red. Eyes that were half-lidded in pleasure, staring at me with their smoldering lust._

_My smirk grew into a lecherous smile. "You like that baby?"_

_He growled lustfully, closing his eyes. "Mmmm...yes..."_

_I leaned forward to kiss him...only to find something around my neck holding me back. I frowned. "Sesshomaru...?"_

_His beautiful eyes opened again & he flashed me a diabolical smile. _

_"What...what is this on my neck?"_

_The smile he was directing at me was starting to make my heart race & my palms sweat; he was so damn sexy. "A collar" he whispered seductively, sitting up slowly._

_"W-why...is a collar on me? Aren't you the dog?"_

_The lust in his eyes dimmed into anger until he read something in my face that said I was just kidding & his smile began looking like a sexy snarl. _

_I reached up to touch the collar; there were metal spikes all around it. _

_Sesshomaru ran his claws very lightly up my torso, hissing under his breath. When he reached my arms, he wound his slender fingers around my wrists & pulled them above my head, typing them with a silk scarf he snatched off the bedside table._

_I grinned. "Have a been a bad boy?"_

_He only puckered his lips at me, making a cute kissing noise & winking before he slowly eased my boxers off, giving a throaty chuckle when my erection sprung up. He licked the head several times, grinning up at me when I hissed, before taking it in his mouth. My back arched & I was tempted to tangle my fingers in his hair (he hadn't wrapped my hands tightly, I could've easily slipped free & do so but then it'd ruin his fun)._

_"Ah, Sess-Sesshomaru..."_

_He stroked the inside of my thigh lathargically, lightly skimming his claw on the sensitive skin occassionally. I clenched my hands into fists & gritted my teeth._

_'_Oh my God, he's going to make me cum prematurely if he keeps it up'

_Running his lengthy tongue up the side of my shaft Sesshomaru's eyes connected with mine before they narrowed in mischief & I arched an eyebrow. What was he up to now? My mouth opened to let out a yell that never came as he swallowed me inch...by agonizing inch. The muscles in his throat flexed around my length, causing it to feel like a massage, & a strangled cry fell from my lips. Oh his mouth was so hot & wet & sinful, I was trembling with the effort to not buck my hips up in that tightness. He shook his head a few times, moaning & fondling my sac._

_My eyes rolled. "Ohhhh, Sesshomaru-oooooh, baby...ohh shit..."_

_As he drew back up he increased the suction, his finger trailing the underside of my sheath, causing my back to arch higher & higher as he neared the head. When it popped out of his mouth he ran his tongue over it, coating it in his saliva before he straightened, heated eyes capturing mine._

_"Where do you think you're going?" I asked him, voice husky._

_A sexy smile split his beautiful face as he straddled my waist, his legs tucked up under him. "How about you let me worry about that, baby?"_

_He rose slightly & slowly eased down onto my still hard dick, his eyes rolling & mouth falling open to let out a soft moan._

_"Ho-o-o-o-oly shit, Naraku..."_

_Oh I wanted to cry, this man felt so good. I wanted to grab his hips & fuck him until he was screaming in ecstacy but this damn scarf he had me in prevented me from doing so. I was so very tempted to just slip my wrists out from their bonds anyway but the last time that happened Sesshomaru refused to even let me touch him until I put the damn handcuffs back on._

_He began rocking more forecefully, arching his back & moaning, his liquid golden eyes fluttering. "Oh...oh, Naraku...oh baby it's so good..."_

_I lifted my hips to meet his, hands unconsciously curling into fists at the incredible pleasure the friction was creating. When he leaned forward, back arched & head thrown back I leaned up & sucked on the side of his neck where his pulse lay. I growled & snatched my hands out of the silk bondages & gripped his ass with both hands, causing him to moan loudly. His flesh felt so good in my hands; I was more than relieved when he didn't even seem to mind that I'd broken free. Mmm, he tasted like vanilla ice cream & caramel; I wanted to bite him but I settled for licking his pale skin in case I wound up hurting him._

_When he leaned back & began pleasuring himself slowly & seductively I felt the tight coil in my belly ready for launch, the muscles in my arms & legs taunt with the effort to not just grab him by his hips & fuck him hard._

_"Ahhh, fuck..." I growled, "Ah shit baby that's nice"_

_Sesshomaru rolled his hips sensuously, his eyes opening to glare at me lustful. "Oh fuck..."_

_The coil got tighter & the lava of pleasure that rolled across my lower abdomen began to boil. "Sesshomaru..."_

_"Oh...fuck, Naraku..."_

_"Come on, baby"_

_"Ahhhhhh, yeah...yeah, Daddy"_

_I clenched my teeth in preparation for the awesome climax that was so near I could taste it...& then Sesshomaru stopped, his lips turned upwards into a wicked smile._

_"Fuck you" I growled._

_"That's exactly what I plan to do" he replied._

_He leaned down to place open mouthed kisses on my neck, nibbling & biting & licking until I was sure my skin was red from the attention he was showing & he rocked his hips furiously, bucking so hard, the mattress began to slide & the headboard banged against the wall with every thrust._

_My climax approached rapidly, much more sooner than I would have liked but Sesshomaru stopped again before I could cum._

_"Fuck, Sesshomaru!" I cried, my arms & legs trembling._

_"Be patient, baby" he cooed"_

_He stroked himself leisurely while he continued riding me & showering my neck & chest with attention, kissing me on the mouth occassionally. His hips rotated in circles & he began growling deep in his chest from the pleasure. His kisses got rougher until it was more biting than actual kissing & by now I was just barely able to keep myself from outright screaming in pleasure._

_"Holy shit, Sesshomaru! Ohhhh God, baby! Oh fuck, oh, oh my God...ohhh my Goooood!"_

_He gave one last hard buck & arched his back so hard his head touched the mattress between my legs & he let out a pleasured cry as he came all over my chest. I roared & my hips bucked erractically as I rode out the awesome climax, limbs trembling & sweat running down my sides & legs. _

_Sesshomaru eventually rose, movements slow & eyes halfway closed. He gave me a lazy smile. "Ready for another round?"_

_._

_.._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

I woke up sweating & panting, my hair clinging to my back & neck. My hands were shaking slightly & when I shifted I realized I'd cum in my pants. I sighed & ran a hand over my face.

_'That was the most realistic wet dream I think I've ever had...'_

When I opened my eyes & looked around I noticed the sun was rising & my body ached from sitting on the ground for so long. Grunting in discomfort I stood & popped my joints, streching my arms over my head. I noticed the brat wandering a few yards ahead of me, talking on his phone. I was surprised he had service, as far out as we were. I glanced behind me to check on my sister & was thankful she was still sleeping but her face looked flushed, like she was blushing. I frowned as I rested my hand against her cheek: she was very warm. We needed to get her to that city as soon as possible.

My eyes finally settled on the main person on my mind; he was reclining on the trunk of the car, his face raised to the sun. I smirked. I wonder did he indugle in sun-bathing often. It sure didn't look like it, as pale as his beautiful skin was. I walked over to him, my arms crossed.

"How long have you been up?" I asked him.

He shrugged one shoulder, tilting his head towards me to look at me with one eye open. "An hour or two"

"Did you sleep well?"

For some reason he grinned mischievously before the smirk was gone. He closed his eye again. "Yeah. How about you?"

"Yeah, not bad" I wanted to ask him had I been making any noise or anything while I was sleeping & though the smirk made me nervous I was sure he'd tell me if I had been doing that, "We're going to need to get a move on. Kagura has a fever"

Sesshomaru sat up straight, his slim eyebrows raised in concern. "Seriously? Is her leg infected?"

"I didn't actually look at her leg but yeah, I would assume that's the main problem"

He looked over at his brat of a brother & called out to him, gesturing for him to come on then looked at me. "We need to leave now then. Hopefully someone in the city can help her"

Inuyasha jogged over & gave us questioning looks. "What's up?"

"We need to go right now. Steer" Sesshomaru said simply, bracing his hands against the trunk.

The brat jogged around to the driver side, turned on the car (though it wouldn't turn over) & put it in neutral. Though Sesshomaru gave me a dirty look at first for helping him push once I explained that the more help he had, the faster this little journey would be he shrugged one shoulder, as if telling me, "Whatever suits your fancy".

We pushed as hard as our youkis & bodies were able to, going two full days non-stop. We were almost at a jog, barreling through the town where the survivors captured Inuyasha & Kagura & groaning in exhaustion when we had to push up hills & spots where the sand was very soft.

On the third night, we reached the gas station & I sluggishly grabbed the hose, opened the gas tank door & shoved it in. Usually this would prompt the robot to pump the gas but I guess the robots were down or something.

"Wait here" I told an exhausted Sesshomaru who was collasped behind the car, "I'll go see if I can manually pump it"

He nodded & I walked in the gas station silently, being cautious not to make any noise. There was no telling if there was a lingering zombie here; I couldn't afford to get into a fight with one & then mess up the computer or something else important. Kami knew it _always _happened in the movies.

I peeked over the counter before hopping over it & pressing the Wake key on the computer. It came to life, the screen blinking before booting & asking for a password. What the hell? Had I had the time & patience to figure out I'm sure I would've gotten it right within forty five minutes to an hour but with Kagura running a high fever & not knowing how bad it was getting we needed to go as soon as possible.

I looked around for anything that might give me a hint. I had to at least try before I do something drastic & I'm pretty sure the answer was right under my nose. I looked around, noticing a case of cigarettes on the floor (I squeezed my eyes shut & looked away quickly), a certificate stating the building had passed inspection & a few posters & peices of papers instructing whoever was behind the counter to make sure the surveillance camera was turned off at the end of third shift.

Then I noticed a plaque, stating the owner's name & that they were certified by the city to run this business. My eyebrow lifted; it'd be worth a shot.

I typed in the owner's last name & pressed enter.

_"_Sorry, wrong password. Please try again_" _the computer said.

Hm. I tried the first name & pressed enter.

"Sorry, wrong password. Please try again"

I sighed, brows furrowing in concentration. I was almost positive the owner's name had to be part of the password. Maybe it was the first & last name together without a space? Or what if it was the owner's middle name? The certificate only had the middle initial on it & I only had a 7% chance of figuring _that _out. It would be fair to say that I only had one more shot to get it right before the computer shut me out so I closed my eyes & concentrated. If I was running this business, & my name was part of the password...what exactly would the password be?

My fingers moved slowly across the keyboard & typed out the last name again & I felt a stirring of surprise when I felt a pull to press the "1" key. That made sense, didn't it? Most places of business require your password to have a capital letter & a number so that it'd make it a stronger password right? Well...there was only one way of finding out...

I went back & capitalized the first letter, inserted a number one at the end & slowly pressed enter, holding my breath.

"Welcome Mr. Shinobi" the computer stated warmly & I sighed in relief.

A black chart popped up with a bunch of time stamps from three months ago & back. I frowned at it for a moment before I figured it out: this was a chart giving me the exact time & date people had come for gas. I glanced out the window & found our car at pump number 4. I clicked into a box & typed "pump 4" & then pressed enter. A box popped up asking me how many gallons I wanted & typed in thirty gallons. I was pretty sure that'd be enough to fill the tank. It gave me a total & the drawer came out, mostly full of one & ten dollar bills. My hands twitched, wanting to take it but what was the point when we didn't pay for anything anymore? I shrugged & took it anyway, just in case.

I hopped back over the counter, grabbed three packs of Trident Layers & headed back out to the car where Sesshomaru had taken his usual position on the trunk of the car & his brat of a brother reclined in the backseat.

Sesshomaru looked at me expectantly. "Was it complicated to figure out?"

I shrugged one shoulder, opening a pack of gum & popping a peice in my mouth. "It was easy once I figured out the password"

"Hey lemme get a peice" Inuyasha said, holding out his hand.

I frowned. "Get your lazy ass up & get your own in the store!"

He scoffed & rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Stingy ass turd"

"Yasha, not now" Sesshomaru said almost gently, his expression registering exhaustion.

We all fell into silence, listening as the gas pumped into the car with a satisfying gurgle. I wandered around the passenger side to check on Kagura. She was panting & sweating, her skin even more red than before. She was even hotter to the touch, almost to the point of it being uncomfortable. I swallowed hard & took a chance to rip her jeans from the bottom up to her knee & hissed in displeasure. This was definitely causing her fever. Pus crusted around the wound & even more was seeping out. The skin around it was purple & black, swollen & shiney. I looked away, trying to keep my bile down. I never knew something like this could smell this damn bad.

"You think we'll make it to the city in time?" Sesshomaru asked me quietly, coming up to stand beside me.

"Of course she will!" I said automatically, "It's going to take more than a bullet to take my sister down! She's stronger than that!"

"Naraku..."

"She has survived surgeries & broken hearts from boys that played with her feelings! She'll get through this too, damn it! I'll be damned if she di...d-di..."

"Naraku" he whispered, reaching his hand out to lay on my shoulder.

I backed up a few steps. "I can't lose her too, Sesshomaru!" I shouted, unexpected anger rising in my chest, "She _has _to survive! She wouldn't do me like that, not after all the shit we've been through! We're _almost there!"_

Sesshomaru stared at me uncertainly, his hand falling to his side & rolling into a loose fist. I realized I was panting.

"She's going to be fine, man, you'll see" Inuyasha said nonchalantly, his arms folded behind his head, "No need to convince yourself she's strong, you already know she is & in the back of your mind somewhere, you are very confident that she's going to make it"

My eyebrows furrowed as I mulled that over. It was so strange...that he was absolutely right. Of _course _Kagura was going to be fine. We both came from the same parents, demons of very fine & strong heritage. I took deep breaths. She was going to be ok...she was going to be ok...

There was a _ching_! & we all looked up to see the gas pump had stopped.

"Good, now we can get a move on" Inuyasha said, sitting up.

I put the pump back & got into the driver's seat, taking a deep breath. We were going to get to the city sometime in the morning, find a doctor, treat Kagura & then...& then...well, I guess just stay there for the rest of our lives...or until the time calls for us to leave. In this day & age it's best not to linger in one place too long.

I ran the back of my hand over Kagura's burning forehead. "We're going to get you help, Rah. Just stay strong"


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm going to put forth some serious effort to update every Sunday morning between 2 & 3 in the morning Eastern time. I feel like it's the least I can do for my lovely fans who have been so patient with me =]**

**Pardon any mistakes/errors I may have missed.**

* * *

><p>I kept the gas pedal to the floor as I raced through the practically barren desert. I could sense the sun was getting ready to rise in a few minutes &amp; the chill of the early morning swept powerfully into the car through the shattered windshield (I still felt guilty about that).<p>

Sesshomaru & his brother sat huddled together in the backseat, the brat's head hidden under the blanket they shared. Sesshomaru's eyes were narrowed as the wind whipped his silver tresses around; he was looking out the window with a look of determination...like he was willing the car to go faster.

By the time we reached the gate the sun had risen. All of our hair was blown in so many directions we probably looked like cavemen (besides Sesshomaru; somehow his hair went back to its sleek waterfall once he flicked it over his shoulder). I stopped the car in front of the gate, expecting the guards to question us or open the door or something...but nothing happened.

"Maybe we should knock" Inuyasha murmured.

"It's steel & concrete; if they're not close by they won't even hear it" I responded.

"Should we call for them?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I guess it's worth a shot" I said & my eyes settled on Kagura. She was panting & whimpering pitifully in her sleep. My heart ached with the pain she must be in.

_'Hold on just a little longer, Rah. We'll get you help soon'_

We got out & looked up to the guard stations. Maybe they hadn't heard or seen us coming so that was the reason they didn't ask us to announce ourselves. But upon closer inspection we soon realized that no one was in the guard stations. Their sniper guns were still mounted & I could hear static emitting from some radio so I could only hope that maybe they left & hadn't been killed at their station.

"_Hey! Is anyone there?_" Inuyasha shouted at the top of his lungs. I noticed Sesshomaru grimace at the volume.

Only silence greeted us. Inuyasha frowned.

"_Helloooooo? Is anyone there! Open the gate!_"

"Do you know how these things open?" Sesshomaru asked me, one eyebrow arched.

I thought about it, rubbing my chin. "The gated cities I had been in all had a large deadbolt & a series of chrome locks. I would assume this door had the same"

"Is it complicated to open?"

"Not really. Even a demon might have to put a little effort into opening the dead bolt but if you're patient enough to open it then it'd be a breez-"

I stopped when I felt wind rushing by & glanced over my shoulder to find the spot where Sesshomaru had been standing empty.

I frowned. "Hey where'd he-?"

I noticed Inuyasha looking up so I looked up as well & wasn't too surprised the dog demon had taken to the skies, hair & clothes flapping madly as he shot over the gate.

"Show-off" the half-breed muttered.

I heard the soft _thump!_ of Sesshomaru's landing then it was followed by a silence so long I began to feel anxious.

"What do you see?" I shouted.

"The dead bolt that you were talking about..." he answered then added with uncertainty, "A maze of locks...& a keypad"

I groaned. Damn keypads! "Is there a nucleous in the middle?"

"Yes"

I rolled my eyes. Fucking government, making everything to damn complica-

"You! What are you doing there?"

I started at an unfamilar voice coming from the other side of the gate. When I looked at Inuyasha he looked just as confused as I felt.

"Sessh?" he called out.

"Are you trying to open the gate? Get away from there!"

"I have friends on the other side, I have to open it for them" Sesshomaru responded calmly.

"No! For all we know they could be bitten or a zombie could lurking just around the corner!"

"There aren't any zombies for miles around, you moron"

"We will not let you open that gate!"

"We gatta get in there!" Inuyasha told me.

"I'm not ramming the car into a gate again" I murmured, glaring at him, "We got lucky the engine didn't end up in the backseat the last time!"

"Well if you don't do it, I will"

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt & flung him to the ground. "Sesshomaru can handle himself you little brat!"

"You don't know how many guys he's up against, asshole, let me go!"

"Think about the bridges you'll need to cross before you burn them! If you ram this car into another gate like this this car will be totalled! What if we need to leave again? We'll have to walk!"

Inuyasha stood up slowly & the serious look in his eyes made my eyebrows raise in question. "My brother is all I have left" he said in a low voice while the sound of punches landing & grunts arose, "If you don't want to help him, fine. Stay here. But I'm not going to stand around & wait"

I stared at him in disbelief as he walked confidently around me to the driver's side of the car, buckled Kagura in then himself & started the car.

"I suggest you move if you don't want to be hit" he said, gripping the steering wheel & shifting it into drive.

I lunged back just in time before he stepped on the gas & smashed into the gate. The car groaned & protested but it hadn't penetrated. Inuyasha recovered & threw it in reverse.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Sesshomaru shouted.

"He's going to break through the wall!" I said, "Move out of the way!"

Inuyasha rammed the car into the gate again & it opened just enough for us to squeeze through.

The half-breed hopped out the car to poke his head into the gate. "Sessh!"

"Yasha, have you lost your mind?"

The brat slipped in the gate & there was more grunting as he joined the fight.

"You bastard! You destroyed the gate! What if a horde comes?" said a voice I didn't recognize.

"Then you get the hell outta here!" Inuyasha replied.

I shook my head & hurridly unbuckled Kagura & hefted her over my shoulder then eased between the gates. Sesshomaru & Inuyasha were outnumbered ten to two but they seemed to be handling themselves well. Sesshomaru settled for only punching & kicking just enough to render them unconscious but not seriously injure them while Inuyasha was letting loose a flury of attacks that could potientionally kill someone.

"I need a doctor!" I shouted, prompting everyone to pause & stare at me.

After a short silence a guy that Sesshomaru was getting ready to smash his fist into pointed at me, frowning. "We don't treat bite victims! If she's been bitten-"

"She has not been bitten! None of us have" I interrupted, "She'd been shot in the leg & now the wound is infected. She needs help & she needs help fast"

The unfamiliar people all looked at each other, making faces, frowning & shaking their heads while whispering in hushed tones. Sesshomaru & Inuyasha backed up until they were standing beside me, their body language tense.

"They don't want to help us" Sesshomaru murmured.

I nodded somberly.

"It's not like we have that damn virus you stupid bastards!" Inuyasha snapped at the people of this city, earning a couple of glares.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to help someone after they detroyed a gate that had been keeping you safe from attacks" Sesshomaru growled, glaring at his brother.

The half-breed's ears sagged. "Guess not..."

One of the men broke off from the group & began running towards a large black glass building while the rest of them turned around to give us dirty looks.

"We'll help the woman. But you three have to leave" one of them said.

"I'm not leaving my sister!' I shouted.

"You are not staying here when you've put us all at risk, breaking the gate like that! There's no telling what else you might do!" said another man.

"I am _not _leaving my sister" I hissed, fangs bared & the men took a few steps back.

"They must be humans. We can't be hostile with them" Sesshomaru murmured.

The man who'd left came back with an old man with bug eyes & a bald crown. "What do you people want?" he asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I just want a doctor to heal my sister. She's been shot & the wound is infected" I said in a low voice, feeling anxious, "Please. It's been four days, she needs help now"

The old man stepped up to us & revealed Kagura's wound, grimacing & giving a low whistle. Sesshomaru hissed, backing away while Inuyasha swore under his breath.

"I'm Doctor Totosai. I'll do what I can for her" the old man said then turned, "Come, follow me"

The crowd of men parted & we walked through them, ignoring their glares & snorting. Dr. Totosai led us to the black building that I'd seen him come out of. It was once probably a five star hotel back in the day; there was a broken, dirty, dusty chandelier on the floor from where it'd fallen, once white sofas & chairs in the lobby to the right & a black marble countertop to the left. Blood was splattered & flung on the walls & I looked away as we passed, not wishing to stare at the bodies laid against the wall, bullet holes in their foreheads & mouths open in a grimace or snarl.

Dr. Totosai led us to what was probably the laundry room & gestured for me to lay Kagura down on a sheet covered island. "I'll need for you three to leave so that I may work"

We backed out slowly & closed the door...then stood around, not sure what to do.

"I think it'd be too much to ask if we could have some food" Sesshomaru mused.

"It wouldn't hurt though" Inuyasha put in, "I'm starving"

We wandered outside & was confronted with the crowd of men.

"You three need to do something about that gate!" one of them shouted, pointing his finger in Sesshomaru's face.

"I suggest you get that digit out of my face before you pull back a bloody stump" the inu-youkai growled & the human snatched his hand back.

"We fully intend on helping with the repairs-" I started.

"Help? You aren't going to get any help from any of us!" another human shouted, "You caused the mess, you fix it by yourselves!"

I bristled a little (I hated being interrupted) but calmed down. "Fine"

I strolled toward the gate to inspect the damage. It really wasn't that bad. If we back the car up, knock out a few dents in the gate & then retighten some of the hindges it'd be as good as new. The thing was, it wasn't going to be a quick job & it was late evening by now (wow, amazing how time flies). We wouldn't be able to work in the dark.

"Do any of you have spotlights or some other object that shines light around a large area?" I asked the crowd.

They looked at each other, murmuring before a guy with a receeding hairline stepped forward. "We ain't gatta give no damn spotlight!"

"Then don't expect us to work on the gate tonight" I said in a low voice, narrowing my eyes.

The guy stepped back, his eyes wide & the crowd murmured for a moment.

Inuyasha shifted impatiently. "Look while you dorks are talking about it & keeping yourselves in danger we're going to look for food"

He strolled passed the black hotel building as if he knew where he was going & Sesshomaru followed after a while, giving me a look that said, "We might as well". The crowd watched them with narrowed eyes but not exactly glaring.

"We have been travelling for some time. Excuse us if we come off as rude but we'd really like some rest & food" I said with a bite of sarcasm before I trailed Sesshomaru.

We made a couple of random turns as if we knew where we were going, walking abreast of each other. I noticed Sesshomaru's eyes sweeping from side to side, as if he was expecting something but if it was danger I'm sure the brat-well, Inuyasha would've picked up on it.

"What's wrong?" I murmured to the youkai.

"Just on my toes, that's all" he replied softly.

The hairs on my arms raised, not exactly in fear but anticipation. I don't know exactly what I was expecting but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be something I'd appreciate taking me by surpri-

Something large & brown shot out from behind an abandoned house & a growl rumbled out of Sesshomaru's chest. The thing stopped, turned & I realized it was a buck. For a moment I wondered what in the hell a buck was doing in the city & then I pushed the thought aside. Did it really matter?

The mammal took off running & Sesshomaru gave chase, becoming a silver blurr. He took the buck down within a few seconds, rolling a few times with his jaws clamped around the buck's throat while the thing kicked & bucked like an angry bronco. Inuyasha ran up & snared his fangs in the back of the buck's neck & shook his head ferociously before there was a _SNAP! _& the deer went limp. It happened so fast I hadn't even moved & my thoughts were blank. I watched in fascination as the brothers fed hungrily, growling at each other when they (quite literally) bumped heads. I'm not sure what I found so intriging but...I was actually turned on by their mini-hunt. Something about the way Sesshomaru licked the blood off his claws like he was a cat grooming himself, the blood dripping off his bow shaped lips & chin just made heat rush to my groin. I was so hypnotized it felt like only a few minutes had passed when they both stood up, the blood cleaned off their faces & claws, the carcass stripped of meat.

"Not bad..." Sesshomaru commented, brushing off the front of his shirt & pants.

Inuyasha patted his belly in satisfation, sighing happily. "That was actually pretty good. We haven't hunted in forever"

The silver haired youkai looked up at me with wide eyes. "Oh Naraku, I'm sorry, we didn't save you any"

I pressed two fingers to my lips to keep myself from gagging. "Uh thanks but I didn't want any"

Raw meat? Are you shittin' me? Yuck

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "You haven't eaten in a while"

I felt my heart melt as a grin spread slowly over my face. It was nice when someone was concerned about you. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll find something else. But thank you"

He nodded & then I noticed his eyes look over my shoulder & narrow. "They're back"

I turned & was faced with the group of men, their faces annoyed. "What can we do for you gentlemen?"

"Soon as that gate gets fixed, you want you demons gone!" said the one closest to me (who I assumed was their leader since he spoke up all the time). He didn't really look human, with the green markings on his face that symbolized rage & Wolverine hairstyle & claws. He didn't smell human but didn't smell like a demon either. Perhaps he was a hanyou but he also didn't smell like Inuyasha.

"Only when my sister is healed" I said calmly.

"No! You all pose a danger while you're here! Look what you've done to our only defense against those cannibalistic monsters!"

"That's not fair, we don't even have anywhere to go!" Inuyasha cried.

"Not our problem, kid!"

"Would you really be ok with throwing a young man who's barely an adult out if he is killed?" Sesshomaru asked, eyes burrowing into the man, "He can barely defend himself; why must he suffer?"

"You...you two can protect him!" the man said, frowning in uncertainly.

"You expect us to be able to protect him while at the same time protecting ourselves in every given scenerio? What if we get seperated? What if he falls behind while a horde is chasing after us? We are exhausted & he is only a half demon. He couldn't defend himself properly"

I noticed Inuyasha looking at his brother as if the beauty had lost his mind but thankfully he kept his mouth shut.

The man looked at the men surrounding him, murmuring in concern. "Just a minute" he said then they huddle in a circle, speaking in low voices.

"If they plan to put us out, where would we go?" Sesshomaru raised his eyes to me.

I shook my head slowly. "I guess...we'd just hope to make it to the next gated city"

"& we'd have to walk"

I nodded & he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"We have to stay here as long as we can, even if that means we have to be treated unfairly or...or sleep outside"

I grinned at the way he grit his teeth when he said the last part. "Aw, come on, pretty boy, you aren't scared of being bitten being some spider while you sleep are you?"

He answered with a murderous glare, fangs bared & I chuckled (even though the look intimidated me). The crowd of men broke up & their leader stepped up to me, his chin raised.

"Fine. You can stay here. As long as you three stay over there-" he pointed to an area beyond a thick row of trees behind us, "We won't care. & you will be on your own should you need anything"

I scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"The houses down there are run down & not safe to live in so you'll have to rebuild them. Don't come to us for any tools or whatever. You will rebuild that gate tomorrow as soon as possible & immediately after you will go back to your area"

I frowned. I really didn't like being ordered around like I was some circus elephant but I couldn't let my pride get in the way right now. "& if I want to visit my sister?"

"By all means visit her. But don't linger around these parts"

With that he turned hautily & they stalked off, a few turning & giving us arrogant smirks. They must have forgotten we're demons & we do what we want. These were desperate times; we could kill them all & feel justified. My pride bucked under the orders. How dare they command us to do something for their benefit & then order us to stay on "our side"? We could defend ourselves should this city come under attack so why the hell should we fix it when they treated us like pets?

One of the humans stayed behind, a guy with a long ebony braid over his shoulder & dark teal colored eyes. He smiled shyly, glancing over his shoulder at the retreating crowd before turning back to us.

"Sorry about that. Suikotsu has bi-polar disorder & tends to snap at innocent people. I'm Bankotsu, by the way"

We introduced ourselves one by one, nodding in greeting. I noticed Bankotsu's eyes lingered on Inuyasha for a while.

"If you guys need anything I'll try my best to get it for you. I'm one of the best connections you can have" Bankotsu said, smiling smugly, nodding, turning then walking away, his eyes darted over to Inuyasha once more then he smiled.

"Well guess we made one friend" I said, looking pointedly at Inuyasha who simply shrugged.

"Whatever. Let's see just how much work these houses need"

...

...

...

..

.

"Oh my God..."

All three of us stared at the once beautiful mansions that were one breeze or leave falling on the roof away from collasping in on itself.

"It's gunna take forever to fix these bitches up!" Inuyasha groaned, running a hand down his face slowly.

"Whichever house we pick it would need extensive work which can't be done today with the sun gone" Sesshomaru commented.

I glanced up at the sky, noticing the beautiful sprinkling of stars & the bright moon. "I think the moon is bright enough to work a little by"

"Let me rephrase it then: I don't feel like putting in any extensive work right now & I won't feel like until morning" he responded giving me a look.

I chuckled. "Fine, fine. We'll begin in the morning"

We got our duffel bag of weapons & gym bag of clothes out of the car. I was mildly surprised the men hadn't gone through the car, looking for anything useful but I guess since we were just filthy demons in their eyes they didn't want anything from us.

We sat on the porch of one of the houses that was the least rotted, Inuyasha leaning against Sesshomaru & my shoulder touching Sesshomaru's. A cold wind whipped through & lasted all through the night. Somehow Inuyasha was able to fall asleep but Sesshomaru was constantly shifting, rubbing his hands together to warm them or rubbing Inuyasha's arms to stop him from shivering so furiously.

"Maybe we should get inside..." I murmured.

"I-I can't f-feel my legs..." Sesshomaru whispered.

"I'll carry you inside"

He gave me a skeptical look. "Carry me?"

"Y-yeah" I said, shuddering as a violent shiver ran through my body.

"& Inuyasha?"

My lips pressed into a thin line & my brows furrowed for a moment before I answered. "Him too"

"Him too what?"

"I'll...carry...him too" I forced out through my teeth.

He grinned at me, his golden eyes softening. "Alright. Take him first though"

I sighed & shifted myself forward then stood slowly, grimacing at the freezing wind slapping at me. I grabbed Inuyasha by the front of his shirt & wrapped one arm around his thigh, hefting him up onto my shoulder then eased the door of the house open before setting him gently on the floor (gently cause I knew Sesshomaru could hear from out there if I bodyslammed his bratty ass into the floor).

When I went to retrieve Sesshomaru he shook his head, scooting over so I could sit back down. I complied with a sigh, looking at him expectantly.

"I want t-t-to talk to you about something..." he started.

"About...?"

"The last fight you had with Yasha..."

I shifted uncomfortablly, raising my eyes so I didn't have to look at him. "Yeah?"

"He's just a kid, Naraku, & he apologized. Did you h-have to take it that far?"

"Look apparently y-y-your parents spoiled the kid & he thinks he can say whatever he wants to _who_ever without consequence & I'm not going to tolerate that"

"How long will you hold this grudge against him?" he asked gently.

I frowned, looking at him. To be honest I didn't know how to answer that. I couldn't say forever cause well, I'm sure eventually I'll get over it but this was not something I could put a deadline on. What he said really hurt me from a deep place & I wasn't ready to deal with that pain; bashing his face in was the only way I could distract everyone from the tears on my face.

"I'm not saying you are in the wrong for being angry with him. I was angry with him too. But what more do you expect from him after he's apologized?"

I looked away again. He had a good point. I really didn't expect anything though; I just didn't want to speak to him, that's all. But for some reason I couldn't form it into words to explain to Sesshomaru that I wasn't ready to let go of that anger just yet. Letting go of it would make me feel like what he said about my wife was now accepted.

"I'm not asking you to treat him like he's your most favorite person in the world, just...try & be more patient with him" he murmured, his voice rising at the end like it was a question.

I nodded. "Now it's time to get you inside"

Because his face was so ghostly white the blush that fluttered across his cheeks were easily seen & he looked away. "You...you don't have to carry me"

"What, you don't think I can pick you up?"

Without waiting for his reply I stood & slid one arm under his knees & the other behind his shoulder.

"Whoa, w-whoa, no, no, no!" he stuttered (though I'm not sure if it was from the cold or because he was tongue tied).

He tried pushing himself out of my grasp (I doubt he was even trying to) but once I got him off the ground he pressed himself into me. He was surprisingly light for such a tall guy; I wasn't sure if he was just a naturally light weight person or the lack of food caused him to lose weight. When I carried him in the house I got a sudden image of him in a white dress & me in a black tuxedo, a glorious smile on his face as he surveyed the beautifully redone home that was now ours. I blinked & the image was gone.

_'What the hell was that about...?'_

I set Sesshomaru beside Inuyasha then sat beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. The wind howled outside like a hurt ghost & even though it was loud & slightly disturbing that wasn't the reason why I couldn't go to sleep. My thoughts were chaotic with the things Sesshomaru said to me earlier about his brother & being more tolerant of him. Am I really expected to be tolerant of an immature boy when we fight to survive almost everyday? The world has ended, morals, respect, & all that had ended along with it. But in a way I guess I could see what Sesshomaru had been saying. It didn't make any sense to hold a grudge when we had to always stay on our toes to survive. Just because the world had ended doesn't mean common sense had to fly out the window. My pride & grudge could potientially get me or one of them killed & then I'd be the one to blame.

Sesshomaru shifted Inuyasha closer to him then sighed softly. "What I'd give to sleep in the car right about now..."

I lifted an eyebrow down at him. "Well, it's right there at the gate. I won't be upset if you leave me"

He chuckled. "No, thanks. I'm sure it's a lot colder in that car than it is in here"

We sat in comfortable, well...semi comfortable silence. Besides the floor being uncomfortable to sit on, Inuyasha's snoring was getting louder & louder to the point Sesshomaru had to shake him firmly to stop it.

"I guess we should get some sleep" the silver haired youkai murmured, yawning.

"You go on. I'm not that sleepy at the moment"

"You need the sleep just as much as I do. You don't have to stand watch, you know"

"I'm just simply not sleepy yet"

He clicked his tongue softly as if he was disappointed but he chuckled. "Have it your way then, you stubborn mule"

I smirked. "You have no room to talk"

He shifted again, closer to me this time. When I felt a strange sensation on my cheek & turned to look down at him, catching a firey glow in his golden eyes. They softened & a smile lit his face up. "Goodnight Naraku" he whispered.

I felt giving him a soft kiss on the mouth was _very appropiate at this moment; he even hesitated, his eyes on my mouth. But I guess he felt he'd hesitated long enough & he laid his head on my shoulder, tucking his hands under Inuyasha. I sighed. I sincerely hoped I'd get another chance in the future to...to, what? Kiss him? Hmm, the idea made a flurry of butterflies erupt in my stomach but...but he didn't feel the same...did he?_


	17. Chapter 17

We awoke early the next morning, stretched the kinks out of our limbs & immediately began planning on how to start rebuilding the house. Before we began working though I went back to the black glass hotel to visit Kagura. She was still unconscious & her leg still looked pretty ugly but the fever had been broken. Dr. Totosai said it was only a matter of time before she woke & would probably be able to walk after three weeks or so. Once we got back to our rundown house we considered where to start. First & foremost, we needed to reinforce the floors. We convienantly ran into Bankotsu & he directed us to a spot in the woods where there was dry wood that the city folks used from time to time. We took as many planks as we could & shaved them down with our claws to get it to fit perfectly. Bankotsu occassionally passed by (I was pretty sure he just hadn't happened to be strolling by), providing us with nails, glue, a hammar & even brought us some food (which Sesshomaru & I didn't like but Inuyasha gobbled down).

Sesshomaru sat back on his haunches & wiped the sweat from his brow. "Alright, the porch is finished"

I looked up from hammering the last plank in the floor. "Would you mind getting to work on the staircase? I have to go get some planks from the woods so you have a few moments to rest"

"I'll come with you" he said.

I watched in fascination as he slipped out of his shirt & raked his hair into a thick, loose plait over his shoulder. I'd only seen a body like his on Abercrombie & Fitch bags & Calvin Klein ads. He had that kind of slender, muscular body that would make you think he was a runner: not too muscular, & not too skinny (I hated skinny bodies with no muscle tone). I raised an eyebrow at the two diamond studs stuck next to his hipbone & he followed my gaze, blushing slightly.

"I was young" he explained with a shrug.

I chuckled. "I'm not judging. Come on, let's go"

When we walked outside we found Bankotsu & Inuyasha talking quietly, the human grinning & twirling his hair around his finger while the half breed stood in a relaxed pose, his fingers laced behind his head.

"Yasha, we're going to get more wood" Sesshomaru said to his brother, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, yeah" the teen murmured, pushing his arm away.

Sesshomaru & I walked in silence. I vaguely noticed he was frowning hard, more like scowling intensely as he glared at the ground, his hands balled into fists. As we got closer to the large pile of wood I heard him panting softly, which I thought was strange. He hadn't been out of breath when we were at the house, had he? I was almost positive this leisurely stroll wasn't enough to tire him, not after he pushed a several ton car for several hours just a few days ago.

I looked over my shoulder at him. "Are you alright?"

His hazy golden eyes rose to meet mine & he nodded slowly, looking at me through his lashes. I had no idea what about the look turned me on so much but I brushed it off & searched for a decent peice of wood. The ones on the bottom were mostly rotted but there were a few peices that we could still use as a wall panel or something that could be put somewhere where it wouldn't have to support our weigh-

I noticed Sesshomaru out of the corner of my eye, his silver braid catching the mid-afternoon sun as he knelt down, his firey eyes on me. All I could do was stare back at him at first. What was with that look? It wasn't exactly...a glare. I could only describe it as an intense or level stare, like I was doing something so entertaining he didn't want to look away.

I arched an eyebrow. "What?"

He blinked & looked away, a blush rolling across his cheeks. "Nothing"

I frowned but shrugged off the feeling he wasn't telling me something. I'm sure it wasn't too, too important. I stood with my hands on my hips. "Alright, we're going to take these logs here-" I gestured to the ones I was refering to with my hand, "& I guess the ones under them that aren't so rotted. We'll have to chop some more trees down or something later because this isn't enough to redo...the...stairs..."

I slowed down my speech as Sesshomaru trailed one claw slowly down my arm until he reached my hand then lightly traced each finger. The touch was so slow, it felt like forever had passed before he stopped & looked up at me expectantly. I could only blink & swallow a few times before I was able to resume my train of thought. Why did he touch me like that? It wasn't just a normal touch, it was more of a...caress...

I cleared my throat abruptly. "Yeah, so...these logs here on top can be used as the stairs & the ones under it-"

"I want you to touch me"

I froze, my breathing stopped & heart in my throat. Did I hear that right? "You want...what?"

He looked away quickly for a moment before his jaw squared in determination & he looked me right in my eye. "I want you...to touch me. Prove to me that you really aren't attracted to me, Naraku"

Whoa. I felt like I'd skimmed through a book without really reading it then somehow ended up near the end. I know I looked strange opening & closing my mouth several times, my eyes wide, standing there like I'd just been caught doing something completely embarassing. The look of determination on his face never swayed; matter of fact it only got more intense & his eyes lit with a fire from within.

I swallowed before I finally figured out what to say. "Uh...what?"

Sesshomaru's look turned into disappointment. "I know you heard me that time"

"I...b-but...what...wait, wait" I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to center my thoughts, "Sesshomaru, I told you before I'm not attracted to guy-"

"I heard you the first time you told me that lie" he growled.

"It was not a lie!" I said, frowning.

"The groping & kissing the night you beat Yasha to a pulp? Remember that? Yeah, I thought so!"

A hot wave of embarassment & irritation swept over me. "My youki was controlling me! _It _is attracted to you, not me! Don't get me wrong, you're pretty & all but you're a guy!"

"Then prove that to me!"

"I don't have to prove shit to you!"

He rocked back on his heels, arms crossed. He looked slightly hurt or confused but his jaw kept that stubborn set. "If your youki had been controlling why weren't your eyes red?"

I started to answer but swallowed my words, a momentary wave of fear running through me. "Hell, I-I don't know! Stop asking me all these questions & let's get back to work!"

He grabbed my wrist when I reached for a log. "Then answer my damn questions!"

"_What do you want from me?_" I shouted, startling both he & myself.

He stared at me for a moment, breathing heavily. "I want you to either stop sending me mixed signals or just admit it to me..." he whispered. His eyes were almost pleading.

I felt my face go blank. Did I like him as much as he apparently liked me? Using "like" made me feel like such a little schoolboy, sending notes to the girl I had a crush on, asking her if she liked me check yes or no. I couldn't say love; it wasn't that serious. But was I truly interested in Sesshomaru as a companion, as my wife had been? Tsubaki...I felt my lips press in a thin, irritated line. A rage I'd only felt when that half breed of a brat brought her death back up trembled through my being & I wrapped my hand around Sesshomaru's throat. Other than a slight wince his expression did not change. I was so _tired _of...of, of...of what exactly? Of being alone? Of being without Tsubaki? Or dealing with these conflicting emotions this man stirred in me? Perhaps all of the above.

"I don't care about your past, Naraku" Sesshomaru whispered softly, "I don't care who you used to be with or what morals you grew up on. I just need to know"

I gritted my teeth. "Shut up!"

Without even thinking, I crashed my lips to his, centering my grip on the back of his neck to hold him to me hard. I felt consumed in my powerful greed for the contact; his skin against mine was so heavenly & his lips felt like the inside of a rose. I forced his mouth open with my tongue & explored his wet cavern. I couldn't describe the emotions that were flowing through me & the butterflies in my stomach that had turned into bullets, bouncing around furiously. His hands gripped my shoulders, claws digging into my skin but that just fed the bloodlust coursing through me. I tangled my fingers in his hair & gripped it at his scalp roughly, snarling. He let out a low, pained groan but let me do as I pleased, which I was glad for. This felt like venting, like somehow I was channeling all my anger into one hard, rough action (well two if you count me pulling his hair) & he was my therapist, patiently listening while I threw a fit, never interrupting, never butting in. How had I let this man almost get away from me?

I jerked back, panting, groaning when the blood resumed flowing through my lips. Sesshomaru opened his eyes slowly & looked at me uncertainly as he panted heavily as well. His lips were so swollen & such an angry shade of red I couldn't help but place another, more gentle kiss on them, loosing my grip on his tresses. He relaxed in my arms, sighing happily. Why couldn't kissing Tsubaki ever feel like this? I almost felt guilty because I'd fallen head over heels for a guy that I denied myself of for months while I'd been with her for years.

"Mmm..."

I shivered as his hum sent goosebumps down my arms. Now that I'd finally come to terms with this...lust (Was it really lust or something more? I was almost positive it was something more) I realized just how much I desired Sesshomaru now. I felt...lighter...like a burden had been lifted off of my shoulders & my youki was purring in contentment. I could _feel _its smug smile, like it knew all along I'd succumb to Sesshomaru's charm. Tch, arrogant arachnid.

"We should get back before Yasha begins to worry" he whispered.

I really didn't want to but I saw the rational behind his statement. We seperated slowly & grabbed peices of wood in silence, our eyes meeting every once in a while. We'd smile & chuckle (or in his case blush furiously). I wonder was he thinking about the next time we would get an opprotunity to make out again like I was?

Just as we were leaving, Inuyasha came running up, firing off questions about why in the hell had we'd been yelling. Sesshomaru & I made eye contact briefly before he just explained we had had a disagreement on where the planks should go. I was almost certain Inuyasha didn't believe that but he didn't question it further.

The rest of the day was spent reinforcing the stairs & the walls. Bankotsu helped us out by bringing us dinner (only Inuyasha ate it) & a couple of lanterns but by the time the sun set we agreed we'd pick up again tomorrow. The human somehow got the water turned back on & we reveled in our hot showers. The soap he brought us dried out our skin but we really didn't care too much; it just felt so good being clean.

While I stood under the water & sighed happily at the hot water hitting my head like a massage & flow through my locks before sliding over my skin I felt the air pressure change & looked up to see Sesshomaru stepping into the room, closing the door gently behind him & leaning against the door, watching me with those intense golden eyes. Not having a shower curtain, there was no point in covering myself (not that I would've bothered since I wasn't ashamed of my body).

I ran a hand over my face to clear the water out of my eyes. "I hope you don't think you being here is going to rush me. It's going to take a lot more than that to get me to hurry up so you can have your turn"

He smirked & walked towards me. I unconsciously watched his ab muscles flex as he did so (he was still shirtless), skin glowing in the lantern's light. "I'm not trying to rush you...not at all"

He ran a light claw over the menacing spider tattoo rising over my hip & I had to supress a shudder. "I assumed you came in here for a reason?" I asked, raising an eyebrow down at him.

Sesshomaru chuckled & stepped into the tub, not seeming to care that his jeans were very quickly becoming soaked. He ran a hand over my abdomen & pectoral muscles as if he was memorizing every curve & every dip. "Oh, there is definitely...a reason why I came in here" he said in a low husky voice (when did he become such a seductress-err, seductor?).

He kissed me softly first on my bottom lip then full on my mouth, causing my eyes to flutter closed. My hands moved to his hips on their own accord, gripping his waist & pulling him closer to me. His skin was hot...or maybe it was just me...either way I liked it. He let me dominate his mouth with my tongue, which I fully took advantage of.

"Mmmm..." he moaned softly.

I pressed him closer to me & the kiss got more heated: his arms wrapped securely around my neck & my fingers sought a gap between his skin & his loose fitting jeans. I vaguely noticed I was breathing hard & my heart was hammering double time right up against my ribcage. Did I honestly & truly love this man? If I didn't now I could very well see it happening in the not so far future. He inticed feelings & ignited emotions in me so strong I was either falling in love or about to go into cardiac arrest.

Sesshomaru froze & leaned back, raising an eyebrow at me.

I blinked my eyes back into focus. "What?"

He glanced down then back up at me through his lashes.

When I followed his gaze I was horrified to see my cock half erect & pressing against his belly. Things really couldn't get anymore embarassing at this moment so I played it cool, lifting an eyebrow & smirking. "Well what do you expect? I am a man, after all"

A small, genuine smile settled on his lips & he kissed me one last time before he slowly stepped out. "Goodnight Naraku" he cooed over his shoulder.

I sighed as he closed the door, narrowing my eyes at my still rising dick. I guess I could get reaquainted with it once more before I step out.

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The next morning I was awoken by hammering.

_'So they were already getting started, eh?'_

I sat up slowly, ran a hand over my face & stood from the mattress I had placed on the floor earlier this morning right before I crashed. I sauntered into the living room to find Sesshomaru finishing up the final step in the staircase, Inuyasha sweeping up sawdust into a corner & Bankotsu sitting on top of a large box, his dark teal eyes watching Inuyasha. I think maybe that human had something for the brat; I took note of the slight smile that graced his face when he made eye contact with the halfbreed & sighed. All these damn hormones in the house was bound to bring on drama eventually.

Sesshomaru stood, brushing his hands off. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, yawning. "Decently. How about you?"

"Well enough. I was surprised I was able to get any sleep with Yasha snoring louder than a congested bear"

"Fuck you, dude" Inuyasha growled.

I chuckled once. "So what else needs to be done?"

"Besides dusting, sweeping, airing out & washing that's about it. We'll need to cut down some more trees to reinforce the floors upstairs as well" Sesshomaru murmured.

I'd heard him but had gotten distracted when someone's stomach growled loudly & a raging blush flitted over his cheeks.

Even Bankotsu raised an eyebrow at him. "Someone's hungry"

The silver haired inu-youkai shifted uncomfortablly. "Guess I'd worked up an appetite"

"I could go get you some-" the raven haired human started, shifting to hop off the box.

"No, no. No, thanks. I prefer raw meat. I'll just hunt"

Bankotsu looked uncertain. "Well what do you hunt?"

Sesshomaru's expression fell flat as he directed a side eyed glare at him. "Animals. Not humans. Unless they push me"

I chuckled as the teal eyed man's eyebrows shot up. "I'll go visit Kagura then we can go cut down some trees"

"I'll come with you" Sesshomaru spoke up, picking his wifebeater up off the floor & slipping it on.

I can't begin to tell myself just how much I loved that shirt of his. It accentuated every curve, every muscle, every dip & showed off those strong shoulders. Sesshomaru was a lovely being; I don't even know how I hadn't noticed it sooner.

We walked to the hotel & ran into Dr. Totosai who was wiping his hands with a towel.

"Ah, Naraku. How's the renovating going?"

I nodded once in greeting. "Almost done. We just have to replace the planks in the floor on the second floor"

He nodded his mostly bald head, looking down for a moment. "Well your sister has pretty much healed but I was unable to properly set her leg"

I frowned.

He sighed. "I didn't have the necessary tools to set it straight. Wood is not strong enough & ducktape can only do so much, especially when it comes to a demon"

"Is she alright though?" Inuyasha spoke up then looked around, embarassed.

Dr. Totsai nodded. "Oh yes she's quite alright. It's going to be at least two more weeks before she's able to walk but besides a pronounced limp in her step she's pretty much back to normal"

"Can I see her?" I asked quietly, feeling relieved. I'd feel better when I see her though.

"Sure, sure. I have some blankets & clothes to wash so take your time"

I walked quickly to the room Kagura was in, grinning when I found her lying on her back & twirling her hair around one finger, her eyes closed.

"You guys smell like you've been fucking & playing football for three days straight" she mumbled, a scowl appearing between her still closed eyes.

I chuckled, ignoring the images that came to mind of Sesshomaru & I in the shower the other night. "Nice to see you too Rah"

I walked over to her & kissed her forehead, smirking when she opened her magenta eyes. She smiled, eyes watering. "You didn't miss me too much did you?"

"Nah. We were too busy surviving & renovating our new house to be worried about a runt like you" I teased.

She laughed, tears spilling over & running into her inky black hair so much like mine. "That's good"

She noticed Sesshomaru & the brat standing in the doorway & beamed. My heart sunk when I thought about her & Sesshomaru's past. I heard them discussing "friend's with benefits" when we first escaped the city but had Kagura caught feelings? How would he & I being together (oh my God, I just admitted to myself Sesshomaru & I were dating!) affect her?

Sesshomaru walked over to us, stiffening when Kagura laced her fingers through his. I looked away quickly. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"I feel better already" she whispered, still smiling.

I couldn't break my sister's heart by dating the guy she had been interested in first, even if most morals had gone to shit when the world ended. Even though...even though it hurt me to just let her have him.

I walked out quietly, letting them have their alone time to talk. Maybe he'd tell her that he was interested in me now & though that didn't mean she was shit to him now (I'd bust him in the mouth if he ever treated her disrespectfully) he was happier with me. Maybe she'd tell him that their little friends with benefits thing was off now; there were more important things to deal with now than having sex whenever the feeling hit.

"Yo, Naraku"

I stopped at the entrance to the hotel & turned, surprised to see Inuyasha jogging after me. "What is it?"

"Where ya goin'? Don't ya wanna talk to your sister some more?"

I scowled. Why did that have a, "You're acting immature" undertone to it? "I'm going to cut down some more trees. She's fine now, I don't have to hover over her"

He gave me a skeptical look & I turned, an unreasonable, irrational anger overtaking my mood. What was with that look? Like he couldn't understand why I was walking away, like it just made more sense to stay in that room & have to deal with my sister looking at a guy I was interested in with those sickening lovey dovey eyes & he's standing there, being a gentleman & instead of telling her what was going on between he & I, he stands there & lets her do as she pleases! Hell no, I'm not going to sit there & watch that but at the same time I'm not about to demand Sesshomaru tell her something that could very well break her heart either.

I stomped down to the forrest & kicked a tree down, cracking it in half. I did the mature thing & walked away before I said something hurtful. That's what any mature adult would've done, right? I mean, seriously what was I expected to do, grab my sister by her hands & tell her that I love her but I'm taking her man?

I punched another tree & it groaned before it fell. Kagura deserved to be happy but hell, so did I. Why did she get dibs, because she saw him first? She didn't even really care for him when those human had dragged his barely alive body to the city & nurtured him back to health! She was always complaining about how he was acting like he was too good to talk to any of them.

I knocked down a few mores trees before I finally sighed & sat on one of the fallen logs, rubbing my forehead tiredly. If he chose her, at least I know he'd make her happy. Not saying I wouldn't be hurt but I wouldn't have to worry about her. & she'd make him happy too. So in the end the only one who lost...was me.

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.

I ambled back to the house when night fell, not surprised to see several lights on inside our house. Bankotsu really did have some pretty good connections (or maybe he turns the lights & water on himself...?). I walked in to find he & Inuyasha playing some card game, the hanyou frowning in concentration.

"Yo" he mumbled, "We were looking for you. Kagura asked where'd you go. Where ya been?"

"No where" I replied, walking to the back of the house.

I wasn't in a very talkative mood at the moment. I just wanted to take a shower, lay down & sleep forever. I don't understand why I felt so damn tired mentally (I'm sure knocking down trees helped though). I walked into the room I used the night before as a bedroom & was surprised to see Sesshomaru sitting on the mattress with his back against the wall, legs folded into an Indian position.

He looked at me expectantly but said nothing, only shifted to make room for me. I sighed & sat down beside him mechanically, rubbing my forehead. We sat in silence for a long time, listening to each others' drumming hearts & soft breathing. I realized at some point that I'd never been this comfortable with anyone in total silence. It felt like I was resting my mind & almost in a state of unconsciousness even though I was wide awake.

I looked over to find him staring at me & raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Sesshomaru blinked & looked down at his claws for a moment. "Kagura will want to live here with us once she's recovered"

I sighed & nodded slowly. It would make sense for her to want to stay with people she's more familiar with but...I almost wanted her to stay there so I can have Sesshomaru to myself (I admit, I'm ashamed I even had that thought).

"What will we do...about us?" he whispered, leaning forward slightly.

Us. He grouped he & I as...us. I'm not sure how that made me feel but the more I repeated it in my head the more I liked it. "I'm...not sure. It'll be complicated with that whole...friend's with benefits...thing..." I trailed off uncertainly. I wanted so bad for him to say, "What friend's with benefits thing? I told her that was off now" but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

He only sighed & looked away. I took that as, "Yeah, I'll have to do something about that" but I wanted to stay positive. Maybe he just didn't feel it was right to tell her at the hotel. Maybe he'll tell her when she's fully recovered & comfortable.

"I'm not going to run your life, Sesshomaru. You're an adult, you can make your own decisions. I won't be angry with you if you choose Kagura over me" I mumbled.

He frowned at me. "Are you serious?"

_Hell no._ "Yes. I just-"

"I don't need you telling me that I'm an adult. I know I am, Naraku. I'm not going to be rude to Kagura when I tell her this...thing...she & I had has to end because I'm interested in you but don't try & act like the good guy & tell me, 'I just want you to be happy' or some bullshit similar to that"

For some reason I laughed. I wasn't lying when I slipped up & told him I liked them fiesty what seemed like years ago. "Alright, tiger, calm down. I just don't want to be overly possessive & demand you stay with me"

"I'm almost certain that's exactly what you want to demand"

I grinned at him & he chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're something else, Naraku"

I slowly leaned toward him & kissed him gently on the mouth, sighing at the softness & his natural scent that was so appealing to my senses. At first he stayed still then he slowly put a hand on my cheek & kissed me back just as gently. My tongue explored out of my mouth & gently proded his lips, asking for entrance. I didn't have any control over it; I just had an overwhelming urge to taste him (in a not so sexual way. Not yet; we couldn't rush things). The lips parted & our tongues danced in a languid but somehow still passionate way, sliding & curling around each other. He tasted so damn good I felt myself melting. I pulled him closer until he was straddling my lap & slid my hand under his shirt. He moaned softly, running his claws through my hair. I nibbled on his bottom lip lightly & flicked my finger over a perk nipple, grinning when he stiffened. I didn't do it again, in case he was uncomfortable with going that far but he did the same to me, his lengthy fingers crawling so slowly up my abs goosebumps raised on the back of my neck& he ran the tip of his finger over my right nipple (the more sensitive of the two).

I unlatched my lips from his, panting. "I just thought you should know how much of a turn on that is & I will gladly flip you over & have my way with you if you do it again"

His eyes widened & I was surprised to see a deep blush overwhelm his porcelain complextion. "Naraku..."

I swallowed, doubling back. "I-I'd only do it if you wanted me to. I'd n-never ever try to rape you or anything, I'm just really turned on that's all..."

His golden eyes stared at me a few minutes longer before he began breathing again & he smirked. "Not right now. We'll have plenty of time to continue in the future, as your youki told me"

I brought his face to mine again & kissed him to distract myself from what I wanted to say. I've never been a particularly pessimistic person but...what if one of us didn't make it & there was no "time to continue in the future"? It actually made my heart thump painfully. I was just getting to know him as a significant companion, he couldn't be taken from me. That wasn't fair.

I squeezed my eyes shut as if that'd block out those thoughts. I couldn't think about that, especially at a time like this. They always said if you think about things long enough it'll eventually come to past so I had to be optimistic. Sesshomaru was not a weak man; he'd never let some zombie take him down.

I relaxed as he wrapped his arms around my neck, breaking the kiss to lay his head on my shoulder. Yeah. He & I both were strong enough to handle ourselves & protect our siblings. I had nothing to worry about.


	18. Chapter 18

We finished up the rest of the house within the next three days & were bitched at for still not taking care of the gate. I'd rolled my eyes & sighed; I honestly didn't feel like doing it but it kind of was our fault so we might as well.

Sesshomaru & I had gone down to the gate with a hammer, pushed the car outside the gates & hammered (or punched) the dents & dings out. Dispite that sounding like it was a peice of cake it took the rest of the day to do that & several hours to straighten the hinges that held the doors together. Bankotsu checked up on us every once in a while, bringing us water & whatnot or asking if we needed help. I didn't want to be rude & tell him he'd just be in the way so I would ask him to bring things I didn't really need like glue or some kind of strong adhesive. I didn't want him to think we found him absolutely useless since he'd helped out quite a bit already.

There were a few times when we'd take a short break & I'd wink at Sesshomaru & send him a puckered kiss in a teasing gesture. I wasn't really trying to be romantic or anything; I guess I was just bored & he was on my mind. He'd pretend to be annoyed by the affectionate gesture but he wasn't fooling anyone with that smile he thought I didn't see. I've never been a very affectionate person...then again, I've never been involved with another man romantically.

Just as Sesshomaru was reoiling the hinges & I was getting the rest of our things out of the car, that bi-polar guy, Suikotsu, walked up, looking grim.

Sesshomaru hopped off his perch on top of the gate & landed gracefully as I set the bags down, crossing my arms.

"What can we help you with?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"I wanted to see how the gate was coming along" Suikotsu said in a low voice, "You guys couldn't have gotten it fixed up much quicker"

When we only gave him questioning looks, he shifted uncomfortablly.

"Our watch tower spotted a horde coming this way that could be here as early as the day after tomorrow"

My heart lurched into my throat & I casted Sesshomaru a glance but he was staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable. "Well what are we going to do about that?" I asked.

"Sit tight & pray the walls & gate hold them at bay" the man replied.

"When a zombie smells flesh it's not just going to turn around & give up if there's something in the way" Sesshomaru said, "They're going to keep trying & trying until they are able to get in"

"What do you expect us to do, get a helicopter & get out of here?" Suikotsu snapped, stepping back when Sesshomaru's aura radiating irritation at being snapped at.

"It definitely won't be safe to stay here" I said sternly.

"We don't have enough vehicles-" the human started then stopped, realizing what he'd said.

"So you have vehicles..." Sesshomaru cooed, narrowing his gold eyes, "How many?"

"That's none of your business!"

"You're either going to tell me or I'll go count my damn self!"

I'd never seen Sesshomaru lose his cool; it made me anxious & uncomfortable because he must be feeling a sense of anxiety himself with another horde approaching & worrying about where the hell we're going to go.

"You don't even know where the cars are" Suikotsu sneered.

"I can sniff them out you idiot" Sesshomaru growled.

"Alright, alright, calm down you two" I said, placing a comforting hand on Sesshomaru's shoulder, "Suikotsu, it's not safe here. At least it won't be for long. The zombies will stop at nothing to get in so it's best to just leave"

"You demons always underestimate humans, that's why your asses almost got wiped out when Europeans migrated here!" the man shouted & Sesshomaru snarled, tensing under my hand.

"Then stay here with your ignorant ass & get torn apart by the zombies for all I fucking care!"

I stared in surprised as the inu-youkai slapped my hand away & stalked off, his claws bared. I couldn't really blame the guy: while having to deal with news that another horde of cannibalistic monsters is coming your way, you also have to deal with racism & hiding your relationship with another man from your brother. That's enough to make anyone snap.

I sighed, & rubbed my forehead. Kami, I don't know what to do. I felt so lost.

I walked away from Suikotsu who was actually still saying something about how demons always think they're invincible & whatnot & we'd be stupid to think that leaving this safe haven was the best way to survive with minimal casualties. I couldn't deal with him right now; I was bound to act on my emotions & kill him if I didn't walk away & with our already tense association with the other humans that would be a bad move right now.

...

...

...

...

..

.

I got back to our house & was surprised to find Bankotsu there, sitting beside Inuyasha on the couch as they watched Sesshomaru warily, who was pacing angrily back & forth.

"Yo, what happened?" Inuyasha asked me as I came in, "He won't tell us anything"

I sighed, my eyes following the silver haired inu-youkai. "Suikotsu"

Bankotsu shook his head sadly.

"We're getting out of this damned city before those monsters get here" Sesshomaru hissed venomously, "I don't care if we have to steal one of their cars, we're not staying here"

"Wait what?" Bankotsu said, instantly alarmed.

I sighed once again, sitting cross legged on the floor. "Their watch tower spotted a horde approaching that can arrive the day after tomorrow"

"Damn! Well you guys did finish the gates didn't you?"

"That won't be enough to stop them!" Sesshomaru snapped, his face marred in a deep scowl.

"But where the hell can we go? There's not another gated city for miles, man" Inuyasha spoke up.

Silence was his only answer. It'd be too risky to just set out & hope we find a gated city; we could run out of gas, break down or run into the actual horde. It's not like we knew which direction they were coming from. But unfortunately setting out looked like the only other option.

"I think...well, I heard about a well armed gated city about ninety eight miles from here" Bankotsu said hesitantly, his eyes watching Sesshomaru who was still pacing furiously.

"We can't go off hear-say. We need something more solid than 'I heard'" I said though not in an unfriendly way.

"It's the only chance we got though" Inuyasha said, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Sesshomaru, please sit" I said, feeling even more anxious than I already was with his pacing.

He stopped & looked at me before slowly lowering himself to the floor, his legs tucked up under him. His fingers drummed his thigh impatiently but that was a little easier to ignore.

I took a deep breath. "It's something we're going to have to risk & Kami willing, we'll make it there. One thing's for certain & that's we have to leave this place. At least if we go to this city Bankotsu's heard of we won't be wandering around aimlessly"

Everyone nodded slowly & I felt a wave of relief flood through me.

"The only thing I'm concerned about...is my sister"

Sesshomaru looked at me in concern & Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. She wasn't going to be fully recovered in two days. Taking her with us might worsen her injury & drag us down...I sighed helplessly. Could I honestly leave my sister here? I know I didn't have to hover over her but she was still my baby sister; I still felt a need to protect her with my life. I doubt she'd even accept me leaving her here to basically die. I was wrong to even consider that option.

"Well I think-" Inuyasha started.

"We're bringing her" I said sternly.

"But-"

"There's no changing my mind on that. She's the only thing I have now-" I glanced at Sesshomaru very quickly, adding a quick, mental _'with the exception of you' _, "There's no way she'd let me step foot outside the gates without her & I don't want to leave her here in the hands of humans. No offense"

"None taken" Bankotsu said quietly.

No one said anything so I took that to mean that they agreed or didn't have a strong enough opinion either way to argue or agree.

I looked to Bankotsu. "Now about these vehicles I heard the city folk have..."

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's mostly police cars, ambulances & S.W.A.T SUV's but we have a few regular civilian cars too"

"& where are they?"

He swallowed thickly. "Around"

I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm not supposed to be giving out this information, honestly"

"I don't care"

He sighed. "The closest one that's not closely monitored since you guys arrived is a civilian car, a 2012 model Mustang"

"That's vintage!" Inuyasha sputtered.

"It's been replaced underneath the hood & fixed up nicely" the human muttered.

"It belongs to you, doesn't it?" Sesshomaru asked, his voice once again back to the calm tone I'm used to hearing from him.

The man nodded slowly, his eyes in his lap. "My father gave me that car when I first started driving. Means a lot to me...but you guys are not the monsters the people say you are. I want to help you escape"

Sesshomaru snorted but didn't say anything.

"I really do appreciate everything you do for us Bankotsu" I said sincerely.

He gave me a smile before his eyes connected with Inuyasha & he looked down at his lap, a little blush rushing over his cheeks. What was up with their relationship?

"So when should we leave?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

For some reason I looked at Sesshomaru who raised an eyebrow like he was expecting an answer from me.

I thought quickly. "The sooner, the better. It'd be a mess if we left at the last minute & ran into the horde"

"Literally" Inuyasha muttered & Sesshomaru chuckled.

"You have to admit it was kind of fun" he said.

When Bankotsu looked confused Inuyasha chuckled. "When we escaped the last city there was a horde approaching & we quite literally ran into them. After the intial fear we kind of made a game out of it"

I smirked at the memory; I had to admit it was kind of fun hitting them but really, I'd like to prevent unnecesary damage on the car. "Let's try to avoid that this time"

"Tomorrow sounds like a good day to leave" Sesshomaru commented. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

I noticed the crushed look on Bankotsu's face before I nodded. "Yeah, I agree. Tomorrow it is"

...

...

...

..

.

Inuyasha & Bankotsu wandered outside sometime later that night or early this morning. I had raised an eyebrow at Sesshomaru, as if to say, "I bet I know what they're going to do" but he just smirked & shook his head, making a face like he was positive it wasn't what I thought it was. It'd be interesting if they did go make out like I thought they were then Sesshomaru & I wouldn't have to hide our relationship from him. When it came to Kagura though...I prefered not to think about that.

After we'd sat in silence for a while Sesshomaru stood in one fluid motion, holding a hand out to me. "Come on, I want to show you something"

I took the offered hand, raising an eyebrow. "Something you want to show me?"

"Yes. Something I'm almost certain you didn't even notice"

I looked him over as he begain leading me upstairs, trying to see if he changed his hair or made an alteration with his body somehow but I noticed nothing.

_'Oh God, I hope it's not something painfully obvious that he'd get mad at me for not noticing until he points it out'_

He certainly didn't seem upset but after dealing with females all my life I was still wary. He led me to a room that we didn't use & opened the door. Moonlight filtered in through the large open window which was open, the cool night breeze rolling in & the trees that framed the backyard swaying gently. He tugged me over to the window & slipped out, looking back at me expectantly. I followed after a short pause, wondering what he had in store.

He sat, his slender, muscular arms resting on his raised knees. "I built this for nights like this"

I looked out over the horizon; all I could see were rows upon rows of trees & though it was beautiful I didn't understand what he was refering to. "Umm...what?"

He chuckled & tugged me down into a sitting position. I thought I was about to slide off the roof for a minute there but thankfully, I only slid an inch or two. "I built this additional roof" he said quietly.

I looked down at the addition, running my hand over it admirably. "It's nice. I like it. But...why?"

"I knew we couldn't stay here forever. Something was going to happen & we'd have to leave. So I figured this would be...almost romantic. A first date, if you will, in case there's not another..."

I frowned. "Of course there'll be another"

He smiled gently, his eyes softened until they glowed dreamily as he stared aimlessly across the tree tops. "I sincerely hope so"

Then he laid his head on my shoulder, sighing almost happily. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, kissing the top of his head. It was almost uncanny how he & I both braced ourselves for more tragedy in the future, not necessarily being pessimistic but knowing there's a good chance of dying out here. It only made sense but right now I just wanted to enjoy his company. Him building this roof ledge just for us was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

I gently pulled his head back & kissed him on his waiting lips. "Thank you" I whispered.

...

...

...

...

..

.

I woke up the next morning before the sun even rose, Sesshomaru still sleeping, nestled into my side. I had so much on my mind I felt heavy, burdened. When would this ever be over, this surviving day to day thing? Would we ever be truly safe? It's like we'd constantly have to go from gated city to gated city to survive. & the horrible thing was: we were starting to get used to it. It's not like the terror ever faded when you were approached by a zombie just like you were always terrified when a wild animal snarled at you & got ready to pounce, its intent obvious that it wanted to kill you. It's just that now it wasn't always, always on our minds & we had short periods where we forgot about the outbreak & life felt like how it used to before the cure was even thought about.

Bankotsu & Inuyasha had returned from their walk not long after me & Sesshomaru decided to come back inside, their moods somber. I was positive it had something to do with us leaving later on today, if Bankotsu's sluggish & sad body language wasn't a tail-tell sign. I had been a little shocked to see Inuyasha come back with black hair, dark eyes & no fangs then I remembered the moon had been full. Sesshomaru had gently chastised him about being away from him on his human night but didn't make a big deal out of it since this was a gated city after all.

Bankotsu pulled me to the side to work out the little kinks for our departure. We agreed it'd just be best to have him bring his car here, go get Kagura & as we were leaving he'd open the gate for us & we were home free. He informed me it was possible Dr. Totosai would be with or near Kagura & wouldn't allow us to take her since her leg is still injured but I assured him we'd take her with us whether he approved or not (by the way he'd looked at me, I think he thought I'd kill the old man should he get in the way). I watched from afar as Inuyasha gave Bankotsu a handshake before bumping his shoulder against the other man's & clapping him on the back. Hm, so maybe it wasn't quite the romance I thought it was.

Sesshomaru shifted, sighing. "I can hear you thinking in my dreams"

I smirked. "Sorry about that. Have to be prepared though"

He nodded slowly, his cheek warm against my cool chest & yawned. "We should go ahead & get ready"

We sat up slowly & kissed each other briefly before we got up & gathered our things. I grabbed our duffel bag out of the closet [it was slightly lighter since we didn't have clothes in it anymore] & grabbed a few stray peices of clothing I'd thrown on the floor after I took them off.

"Do you have anything in the laundry? When we go get Kagura we should check. I can't find my damn Polo shirt..." Sesshomaru grumbled unhappily.

I laughed throatily & shook my head. He's such a pretty boy.

While he went to go wake his brother up, I gathered the rest of our things & waited for Bankotsu to swing by in his Mustang. When he did, just a few minutes after the sun rose, he popped the trunk & I loaded it with out belongings as quickly & as quietly as I could (I swear everything sounded so damn loud when you were trying to do something while everyone else slept).

Bankotsu sadly ran his hand over the roof & hood of his car before turning his dark teal eyes to the house. "This car should get you guys anywhere you need to go. My baby has never let me down"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't want to come with us"

He shrugged one shoulder & looked at the ground. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that my place is here with these people. I'd feel horrible leaving them behind to defend themselves so I shall be the captain that goes down with his ship"

"Very honorable words" I commented & smirked when he shrugged off the compliment.

"I'm just telling you this so I don't wind up looking like a little bitch"

We laughed quietly & watched as Sesshomaru practically dragged Inuyasha's half sleep ass out the door & down to the car.

"Alright, let's get going" the inu-youkai said.

"I'll ride with you guys to the hotel" Bankotsu announced & he climbed in the backseat with Inuyasha.

The car was a little tight with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha & I being tall but once Bankotsu got out & Inuyasha turned sideways Sesshomaru & I will be able to move our seats back so I dealt with the temporary discomfort. We pulled up at the hotel quicker than I would have imagined & I killed the rumbling engine then we all piled out. Not too surprisingly Dr. Totosai was in the room with Kagura, inspecting her wound before we came in, surprising him.

He straightened quickly & moved his glasses to the top of his head. "Geez, you guys nearly gave me a heart attack! What's the deal with you all coming in here so early?"

"We're taking her" I said sternly, leveling him with an intense glare.

His bug eyes bugged even more. "You're doing what now?"

"I told you people from the get-go I was not going to leave her so give her something to keep her asleep, hand me some pain killers & then move out of the way"

"You can't move her, she's not fully recovered!"

"I will not repeat myself, old man" I growled, "I appreciate everything you've done for her, more than I could express but this is not your decision"

Just as Dr. Totosai was getting ready to say something there was a russeling behind us. I turned quickly.

"Dr. Totosai, who are you talking t-"

My eyes widened a fraction before narrowing in a glare as Suikotsu came around the corner. The man's eyes widened in surprised as well before calming & he nodded to each of us, bowing particularly low to me. I noticed Inuyasha wrinkle his nose at the complete attitude change & Sesshomaru frowned.

"Good morning" Suikotsu commented before stepping into the room, up to Dr. Totosai & handing the doctor a syring of clear fluid, a large band-aid & a steaming towel.

None of us said anything, only watched. Bankotsu wasn't kidding about that bi-polar thing after all, not that I had my doubts.

"What is that?" I asked Dr. Totosai, jerking my chin in the direction of the syring.

"Numbing fluid. I need to go in & sew up her arteries again" the old man said.

"Again?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes. She woke yesterday & was stumbling around, calling for you, Naraku & wound up reopening her wounds so I had to put her down with tranquilizers"

I scoffed & shook my head. That sounded like something she'd do. Stubborn mule.

Dr. Totosai went to work on numbing her leg & slicing her healing skin back open before taking a needle & some thread into his hands & leaned in close to properly see what he was doing. Inuyasha groaned as if he was about to be sick & Sesshomaru grimaced, saying he'd get the laundry. I decided to watch Dr. Totosai & the newly calm & docile Suikotsu. He was watching what Dr. Totosai was doing with mild interest, his face blank.

"Have you tried to treat him?" I asked Dr. Totosai, still looking at Suikotsu who looked up at me.

"No, not really" the old man answered, intent on his work, "It's not important enough to treat since it's not a danger to anyone, minus some hurt feelings, not to mention I don't have the medication he requires for it"

"Not important enough? People with bi-polar disorder could fall into depression & kill themselves or even someone else"

"Bi-polar disorder?" Dr. Totosai asked, looking at me over the frame of his glasses, "Suikotsu has split personalities. Two totally different things"

"Either way it should be looked at. It could put himself or someone else in danger should he decide to go Mr. Hyde on someone & kill them"

Dr. Totosai only gave me a level stare before turning back to Kagura's leg, shaking his head slightly. "He's fine. When he flips out there's nothing a little tranquilizer can't handle"

"& if he becomes immune or addicted to it?"

The old man stopped, closed his eyes & took a deep breath. "Young man, I know what I'm doing. I appreciate your concern over such matters but honestly, I don't need advice from someone who doesn't have any sort of degree in medicine & the like"

"You don't know what I have" I growled, narrowing my eyes.

"You obviously only know the basics that Google covers & not the in dept explaination of how these kinds of things work!" he snapped, glaring at me.

"Gentlemen, please..." Suikotsu said in a soft voice.

I gritted my teeth, upset that I'd already let this geezer get to me. "Just hurry up & do your damn job so we can go"

"You are not taking this young woman. She is not fully recovered so moving her would only make her injury worse & cause a horrible infection to set in then who's going to cut her leg off?"

I bunched the front of his shirt in my fist & hauled him up to my height, growling under my breath. "You don't like me telling you how to run your shit, don't you dare tell me how to run mine, you looney fool"

I set him down roughly & was getting ready to walk out when I heard something so soft I almost missed it. It was such a sweet sound my eyes grew hot.

"Naraku...?"

I turned & smiled at my sister as her barely focused eyes searched for me & her fingers twitched upwards, seeking my hand. I grabbed the cold hand & brought it to my lips, forgetting all about Suikotsu & Dr. Totosai.

"I've been so bored, where have you been?" she whispered, magenta eyes sliding shut again.

"I'm sorry, Rah, I've been renovating a house for us to live in. I'd let you see it but we have to go"

"Have to go? Where? Why?"

"Yeah, we have to get out the city though I'm not entirely too sure where we're going yet" I responded, purposefully ignoring the last question. I didn't want her to get stressed out & end up hurting herself again.

She sighed softly, swallowing. "So thirsty..."

Dr. Totosai looked at Suikotsu & the man took off to God knows where then came back with a foggy glass of cold water. I nodded my thanks, propped Kagura up & slowly let her drink. She gulped the water down quickly, finishing the glass in no time & asked for more. She downed three glasses before I told her that should be enough for now. She burped & grinned, her body relaxed now. When I gave Dr. Totosai a look (I'd noticed he was hovering now that he was done sewing Kagura's leg back up) he sighed & walked out the room, Suikotsu trailing after him. I vaguely wondered where Sesshomaru, Inuyasha & Bankotsu were but my train of thought got derailed when my sister spoke again.

"How is Sesshomaru?"

I shifted uneasily, already feeling guilty. "He's, uh...he's fine"

She smirked & closed her eyes. "Yes, he is, Kami bless that man. I hope he's happy"

I didn't know how to respond to that so I just stayed quiet. Why did I feel like she brought him up for a reason...?

"Naraku, I want you, Sesshomaru & Inuyasha to leave me here"

My eyes widened & right before I was getting ready to respond I started coughing, saliva going down the wrong way. Did she just...? What the...? Did I just hear...? What the hell has that damn doctor been giving my sister!

She chuckled. "I know that comes as a surprise"

"Hell yeah it does, Rah! Why the hell would you want to stay here with these racist, idiotic morons with nothing better to do except scratch their asses?"

"These people have been good to me, Naraku. They brought me food & clothes & even the women gave me spongebaths"

That was a lot of information to take in just now. They had been good to her? Brought her food? There were women in this city? Why the hell had we never seen them?

"They would tell me about their day to day lives & about how annoyed they were with their husbands for not letting them get close to you or Sesshomaru because you two were some 'delicious looking hunks of testosterone', as they put it" Kagura said, laughing.

I was still so much in shock I couldn't even blush.

She opened her eyes & looked at me seriously. "I owe these people big time. It would be shameful to leave them here to die or even just take a select few & we can't take them all. There aren't enough cars"

"Kagura..." started.

"Naraku, you know me. You honestly think I'm going to let some undead bastard bite me? Hell no, that's not how I roll, sweetheart"

I was only able to crack a small smile at her light mood. "But your leg-"

"Will heal eventually. All I need is a gun to defend myself & I wouldn't even need to stand or walk. But you & I & that doctor know good & well I'm just going to make it so much more stressful on you guys if I come with you all because I'll be nothing but a burden & _then _you'd still have to worry about changing my bandages & keeping pain killers in my system & hoping I don't get an infection. Naraku, you were there when those zombies flipped out when Inuyasha's lip was reopened & how Sesshomaru burned them just in time to save their asses. If I break a stitch or rip my bandage off too quickly & break the skin, that's it. There will be so much bloodflow there's no way you'd be able to defend me or yourselves & you know it"

I was shaking my head half way through but she made a really good point. It only made sense to leave her here...but how could anyone honestly expect me to do such a thing? My eyes grew hot in frustration. "Rah, you _know _I can't leave you here like that! You know I can't! You're all I have left &-"

Her eyes were soft & she placed a comforting hand on my cheek. "You have Sesshomaru"

My heart stopped. I felt like I couldn't breathe. "W-...what did you just say?"

"You think I don't know about your feelings toward each other? Tch, I'm not _that _blind!" she said, smiling.

My mouth opened & closed. "When...how...what...?"

"I saw you two kiss that one night outside the car after we saved Sesshomaru & Inuyasha from those undead freaks. Why did you think I stopped pulling Sesshomaru aside to 'have a word with him' & all that jazz? I wouldn't keep messing around with someone you were interested in"

M eyes grew moist & a fat tear hung off my eyelash. "Even...even if you were interested in them first?"

She wiped the tear away with her thumb, still smiling. "Even if I was interested in them first. You two obviously make each other happy. You looked so alive & aware when you came to visit me the other day. You think I didn't notice you walking out when I grabbed Sesshomaru's hand? That screamed 'I'm jealous as hell!', Naraku"

I laughed, beyond relieved, beyond happy...but it was so bittersweet. I kissed her hand. "You are absolutely sure you can handle yourself here?"

She nodded. "Of course, darling. I am your sister after all & strength runs in our family"

I leaned forward & kissed her forehead before giving her a tight, long hug. "Thank you, Rah" I whispered, "For everything. I love you so much. Please...please be careful"

"I will" she whispered back, "I love you too"

I leaned back & stared at her for a while, memorizing her face, her features...just in case...

"Naraku..."

I looked over my shoulder to find Sesshomaru & Inuyasha standing in the doorway, Bankotsu approaching me.

"I'll personally make sure she's alright" the teal eyed man said seriously & I shook his hand, smirking.

"Make sure that you do. & don't try nothing funny with her"

We laughed a little & I kissed Kagura's forehead again.

"Be strong. & love him hard" she whispered the last part so softly I wasn't quite sure if I heard it.

"You know I will" I replied.

Everyone shared their goodbyes, Sesshomaru surprising me by hugging Kagura close & kissing her cheek & Inuyasha awkwardly shaking her hand. We walked to the car in silence & piled in, our mood somber, our faces unreadable. But I was almost certain they had just as much on their mind as I had on my own.

_'Please, Kami...keep my little Rah safe & bring her back to me...'_

The gates opened silently as we approached them & I gunned the engine, leaving behind the city, the people...& my sister.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for not updating this morning! Completely forgot since I came home late [sweatdrops]**

* * *

><p>"You think it's gunna be hard with no chicks around now? I mean like...guys are territorial &amp; all"<p>

"Keep your mouth shut & there won't be any problems"

"Hey, fuck you, man!"

Chuckling.

"Dude, we should have a sing-a-long..."

"Sing one note & I'm throwing you out of the car"

"You can't talk cause you can't sing either, hell!"

"Actually, yes I can"

"Bet you won't bust a move then!"

My eyebrows raised up high as Sesshomaru began singing The Real Folk Blues in sultry, jazzy tone of voice. It was quite sexy; I made a note to ask him to sing for me in the future. Once he sang the first verse & chorus he stopped & directed a smug grin at his little brother who struggled to hide his surprise.

"Keh, you ain't even all that good..." the half breed grumbled & the inu-youkai laughed.

"At least I have the balls to sing while you get upset if someone even walks by your room while you're singing"

"Hey, I only got upset that _one _time cause your slutty ass ex-girlfriend started bitching about how she couldn't hear herself thinking cause I was singing Eye of the Tiger!"

Sesshomaru made a clicking noise with his tongue & shook his head. "It was a nightmare dating that woman..."

"So why did you date her?" I asked.

He shrugged one shoulder. "She was a loner; I pitied her because no one ever talked to her"

"Aww, you're such a humaniterrier" Inuyasha sneered.

"Humanitarian, you jackass" Sesshomaru corrected, laughing.

"Same damn thing!"

They'd been going back & forth ever since high noon, four hours ago but for the most part I didn't mind. Their playful bickering was entertaining & every once in a while an interesting story would be brought up, mostly concerning Sesshomaru. I was surprised to find out that the silver haired beauty never even had a real girlfriend until he was a sophomore in high school. Considering how lovely he was, I would've thought girls would've been all over him but for all I know maybe he stayed single for so long because he just rejected them, not because no one wanted to be with him (which I could believe; he seemed to have a very high standard when it came to women). When I asked him about some of the women he's dated he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, smirking.

"That curious about my past, eh?"

I tried to come off as impassive. "Just making conversation, that's all"

He chuckled but didn't answer my question. I took that to mean that subject was off limits, at least for now.

"I'm surprised your friend didn't want to come along" he said, after a prolonged silence.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It would've been cool if he had but I understand why he stayed"

"Well, well, well, look who's trying to grow up"

The hanyou rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I ain't gunna force him to come along, he's a grown ass man"

I noticed a sly smile grace Sesshomaru's face. "Did you like him as more than a friend?"

"Sessh! God, what the hell?"

"I'm only asking because you mentioned the desire to experiment, that's all"

Inuyasha pouted, glaring out of the triangular window & crossed his arms. There was a long silence before he sighed. "He's a cool guy. I would've experimented if he'd brought it up but he never did. I never considered whether I like him or not though"

That made me & Sesshomaru exchange a quick glance. Would he be upset about us coming out to him about our relationship? I still think it was too early to tell; what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him in this case.

"It seems like you're considering it now..." Sesshomaru commented in a low voice.

Inuyasha didn't respond, he just simply stared out the window, his facial expression thoughtful.

Sleeping in the Mustang was even more cramped than our previous car, so cramped Inuyasha typically slept on top of the car. Though Sesshomaru sometimes worried about his safety, having the inside of the car to ourselves was...interesting (nothing too sexual, just kisses & flirting). By day three of being out here I'd realized I hadn't even asked Bankotsu which direction this well-armed gated city was located. Hell, for all I know we could be going in the complete opposite direction. But what if we were going in the right direction? Should we consider turning around? I kept the musings to myself, not wanting to have to deal with Sesshomaru & Inuyasha flipping out on me about wasting their time (though we had plenty to waste).

One particularly cold night, so cold I wouldn't be surprised if it was below freezing we all had to press against each other for warmth. Of course Inuyasha decided to curl up next to his brother as they shared he passenger seat; things were still very tense between us, not to mention it was a little awkward anyway. It was really hard not to wrap my arms around Sesshomaru & hold him close to me, with my chin resting on top of his head. There were several times when he had to gently take my hand off of his hip or slide my hand out from under his shirt but he'd lace our fingers together in hiding, in case Inuyasha woke up. Sometimes we'd stay up for hours just whispering to each other, trying really hard not to burst out laughing & keep our voices down when we got excited about something (not excited in a sexual way).

On the seventh night it was freezing again. I watched as condensation slithered through Sesshomaru's parted lips, lips that were trembling. I'd leaned forward to kiss them so that they'd warm up but he put a hand on my chest.

"He's not asleep yet" he whispered very softly.

One side of my lip lifted. "So?"

He smiled but shook his head.

Inuyasha groaned, shifting. "I can't fucking sleep"

"Count sheep" Sesshomaru murmured, his eyes on me.

"That takes too much concentration. I always lose count or get hungry"

The inu-youkai chuckled. "We haven't had a good lamb since...since Mother cooked one a few Thanksgivings ago"

"Ohhh my God, it was so good too. I ate that shit for breakfast, dinner, lunch, snack, took it with me to school for lunch-"

The older sibling laughed, his hand sneakily reaching up from under his chin to lightly stroke my cheek, his eyes staring aimlessly at a spot under my chin. I wonder what he was thinking about? I got even more curious when a gentle smile pulled up one side of his mouth & lifted an eyebrow. The action caught his attention & he looked up at me. We stared at each other for a while, not moving. We had many moments like these, moments when we just stared at each other, hoping that if we stared long enough we'd get a glimpse of what the other was thinking. I always took that time to admire his eyes. Not just the color but their shape. They were almond shaped & almost feminine, which is why I always thought of him as a pretty boy.

Without thinking I leaned forward & kissed him, goosebumps raising all along my arms. Fire shot through my body; it'd been far too long since we last kissed. When I leaned back his eyes were wide & he quickly slapped a hand over his mouth as laughter made his body shake. I smiled. He was adorable.

"What was that noise?"

Sesshomaru got a hold on himself, still staring at me with wondering eyes. "What noise?"

"Like smacking...? Oh my God, please don't tell I was the only one who heard that! Sessh, I'm for real, I heard something! Where's the duffel bag?"

"Calm down, Roger Rabbit, I just killed some bug, that's all"

"No, no, you're heavy handed as hell. If you smacked somethin' dead you use all your force & this was like soft smackin'. What if-what if something's lurkin' outside!"

"Jesus, Yasha-"

"Dude what if there's like an evolved zombie out there that's like really smart & it planted a bomb on this car or somethin' just now?" the brat ranted on then gasped, "Shit what if the city folk knew we were goin' to take this car & _they _planted the bomb on the car?"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes & I shook my head. "Yasha, chill. Go for a walk or something"

"I ain't gettin' out this car with some genius zombie lurkin' around out there!"

The inu-youkai sighed & closed his eyes, lacing our fingers together & holding them close to his chest. "Then go to sleep"

I closed my eyes as well, almost comfortable enough to go to sleep (it would've been nice if I could've held Sesshomaru a little closer) but Inuyasha kept shifting abruptly & sighing loudly, preventing me from sleeping. I opened my eyes & glared at the back of his head, wishing I could shoot lazers from my eyes. What's with this kid? I swear he had ADHD or something. He shifted again, flipping onto his back & sighing heavily at the cieling.

I noticed a scowl form between Sesshomaru's closed eyes. "You can lay still anytime you like, you know. Take your time" he said sarcastically.

Inuyasha sighed. "I'm going for a walk or something. Maybe that'll chill me out"

Sesshomaru shifted as Inuyasha turned himself around & stepped out the car. "Don't go too far"

"Yes, Mom"

As soon as the door was closed Sesshomaru opened his eyes & stared at me, his eyes searching my face. "You look tired" he commented.

I raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for telling me I look like shit in such a nice way"

He laughed. "You know that's not what I meant"

I grinned, running the back of my index finger down his cheek. "You look like you could use more rest as well"

"Oh?"

"Don't worry, you don't look like shit. You & I both know you're gorgeous"

A deep red blush flushed his cheeks & I chuckled. It never ceased to amuse me that as attractive as Sesshomaru was he never got arrogant about his looks nor was he vain (though I did notice him checking out his body occassionally since we escaped the first city). I wrapped one arm around his waist & brought him close to me for a heated kiss, relishing in his sweet scent.

"You're getting pretty frisky tonight" he commented, raising an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged one shoulder. "What can I say? I am a man, afterall"

Both of his eyebows raised then & I scoffed.

"I'm not going to rush you or anything, I was just saying"

"I never accused you of rushing me"

"I know that defensive tone of voice when I hear it"

"Oh so now you know so much about me, eh?"

"You make it pretty obvious, Sesshomaru!"

His lips pressed together in irritation & a scowl creased the area between his eyebrows. "Just because you can read my facial expressions doesn't mean you can correctly interpret what I'm thinking"

I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes. Amazing how quickly a normal conversation could escalade into an argument with this guy. I mean honestly, how could he have found something offensive about what I said? "Sessh, just go to sleep"

"I go to sleep when I damn near feel like i-did you just call me Sessh?"

I frowned at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about until I thought about what I'd just said. My face flushed. "It...it just slipped"

He stared at me a moment then an easy grin pulled the corners of his bow shaped mouth upwards. I was surprised when he put a hand on my cheek, kissed me then settled down into a more comfortable position. "Goodnight" he mumbled.

"Goodnight" I whispered, kissing his forehead.

Why did he make me feel like this? One minute, he has me so angry & irritated, I wanted to punch or kick a few more trees down & other times he makes me feel like I could...like I could...love him. Is love the word I really want to use here? This feeling sure was a lot stronger than "like" & definitely more than a crush...but I don't want to throw that "L" word around. Too many people used it so loosely it had practically no meaning anymore & with Sesshomaru, well...I wanted it to mean something with him (I know I said I wasn't a very affectionate person but I _did _tell you I'd never been a relationship with a man either so deal with it).

I sat up a little straighter & looked out the window, slightly relieved when I saw Inuyasha trudging back to the car, yawning & rubbing his eyes sleepily. I was only relieved because I didn't want Sesshomaru to worry, that's all. Yeah, ok, the brat apologized but with all the hell & headaches he's caused me since I've met him, "I'm sorry" doesn't quite cover it.

I continued staring out the windshield as he opened the door & got in, practically flopping down & causing Sesshomaru to frown in his semi-conscious state.

"Fuck, I'm tired...'night, man" the half breed mumbled.

When I didn't reply he sighed.

"Dude, how long will you keep ignorin' me? What more do you want me to say?"

"It'd be wonderful if you didn't say anything at all" I replied quietly.

"What's it gunna to take for you to just let it go?" he snapped though not too loud.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me boy" I retorted, glaring at him, "After the shit you've said it's going to take a hell of a lot more than just "I'm sorry". That's not some shit you just write off with a simple apology"

"What more can I do, beg & offer my firstborn as a sacrifice? C'mon man!"

"Enough" Sesshomaru said in a firm voice.

Inuyasha scoffed, throwing himself back into the passenger seat. "Whatever, man. You wanna hold grudges, fine. But don't bitch about me not tryin' to be the bigger man"

I was left in silence & my thoughts then. How in the hell could I be in the wrong here? A person, be it demon, human or half breed, has their limits. I let it go when he murdered my father, why the hell did I not get credit for that? He talked rudely about my dead wife & rubbed in my face so deliberately all because I was laughing at a fucking dare that _he _agreed to do! How the hell was it my fault all because I prefered to not speak to him? I wasn't being rude to him, I wasn't hurting him, I wasn't hurting _anyone _! Why did it seem like I was the bad guy here?

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I sighed sleepily as I awoke to something soft brushing my cheek & slowly opened my eyes. I wasn't surprised that it was Sesshomaru slowly running the tip of his fingers across my cheek & over my chin, I was just surprised by how intense his stare was, like he was willing me to wake up. When we made eye contact his eyes softened & he smirked.

"Good morning" he said quietly, almost in a whisper.

"Morning" I rumbled, reaching up to move his bangs out of his face, "What was on your mind?"

He shrugged one shoulder, breaking eye contact. "Nothing important..."

"It sure registered as important on your face"

He exhaled slowly & paused his stroking fingers. "I'm ready"

"For?"

"Us"

"Us?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I'm ready to come out to Yasha...& for us to...you know..."

"I'm having trouble following here..."

"I'm ready for us to have sex" he blurted, a blush skittering across his nose.

Whoa. Well, that was quite unexpected. "Uh...Sessh, I don't think that's a...I mean about the...the sex p-part-" I couldn't believe I was feeling embarassed! How many times had a fantasized about touching his body? How many times did I wonder how good it would feel with him? Why the hell was I acting like I was so innocent?

"Why?" he asked, eyes narrowing on me.

"Well...w-well, I mean, it's...it's kind of different f-from what...you know, we're used to...we're like...backdoor virgins, you know...-"

"You don't think I can handle it?"

"Uh, well, I mean, I-I'm just saying I...well...you see..."

"Naraku, spit it out"

"That's a tight hole back there" I said abruptly & I swear both of our faces were red as tomatoes.

_'What the fuck, brain?'_

I couldn't believe I had just said that! Sure, I was an outspoken person but...really?

"Let's...let's just take it slow, alright?" I said finally, resting my palm on his cheek.

He nodded after a moment & kissed me before stepping out of the car. I followed. The sun was low in the sky & the air was cool; a perfect morning. I was about to ask Sesshomaru had he seen his brother when the half breed came sauntering around a pile of boulders, running his hand through his hair.

"Hey guys, I found a spring over there if ya wanna use it"

"Did you piss in it?" Sesshomaru deadpanned.

"No! What the hell, Sessh, hell no! I'm not _that _rude!" the teen spat, frowning.

"You can be" the older sibling replied & walked in the direction Inuyasha had pointed to while the half breed wandered back towards the car.

I followed him around the boulders down into a little valley where there was a spring big enough to fit five or six adult men comfortably, bubbling away happily. I noticed the way Sesshomaru's eyes lit up at the sight of it & grinned.

"Should I give you some alone time with it?" I asked.

He looked over his shoulder at me, face serene, & gently grabbed my hand. "No" he murmured, "I want you to join me"

I walked closer to him while pulling him to me at the same time but he glanced over my shoulder & quickly dropped my hand, looking away from me. I'd just wiped the annoyed look off my face by the time Inuyasha came to stand beside me, munching loudly on a bag of chips.

"Think it's ok to use?" he asked.

"Yeah I think i-" Sesshomaru started then did a double take, "Yasha, where did you get those?"

"Umm...well, see once I ran off with the buggy I stuffed some of the food into the bag &..."

"So all this time you had food?" I shouted.

"I'm sorry! I forgot!" Inuyasha cried, looking worried.

"Yasha..." his brother groaned, running a frustrated hand over his face.

"I had completely forgotten..." the hanyou said softly, shamefully putting the bag of chips behind his back.

Sesshomaru sighed before ruffling the boy's wild hair. "It's fine. Is there anymore?"

The hanyou nodded.

"Good. I'll look into it once we check out this spring"

He gave me a look & both of us walked forward, crouching on the edge of the pool. The water was blue, almost as blue as the sky on a clear sunny day & because there were so many bubbles interrupting the surface it was hard to see to the bottom. I submerged my finger up to my third knuckle & kept it there for a minute before pulling it out, inspecting it then sniffing.

"The water's pretty warm" I commented, "& smells heavily of minerals. I think it's safe to get into"

Inuyasha stuck his arm in up to his elbow & sighed happily. "This water feels so good"

Sesshomaru smiled wickedly. "Why don't you get all the way in then?" he said before pushing the boy in, clothes & all.

A laugh came bubbling up out of my throat & I threw my head back as the half breed sufaced, spitting, sputtering & swearing.

"Sessh, what the hell! You fuckin' bastard, I'll kill you, I swear before God I will!"

The older brother only laughed, skittering to the side as Inuyasha flung an armful of water in his direction. Most of it splashed onto me but I couldn't find it in me to get angry. This is the first time in very, very long time...maybe _ever_ that we've ever had fun. Inuyasha eventually yanked Sesshomaru into the water, causing him to let out a sound very similar to a yelp & I doubled over in laughter. He went in headfirst, his ass & legs still sticking out the water. The position sobered me slightly & I began imaging what he'd look like in that position with no clothes on (I bet he'd look amazing) but he righted himself & shoved Inuyasha's head under the water, which made me chuckle. I watched them play fight & toss each other (well, Sesshomaru was the only one doing the tossing...) over their shoulders. I noticed by now that the sun was pretty high, close to noon & my stomach had begun to rumble. I was about to tuck my leg under me to stand but long fingers wrapped around my ankle & I looked down to find Sesshomaru staring up at me through his lashes, panting & smiling devilishly.

"I hope you didn't think we weren't going to get you too" he said huskily.

I raised an eyebrow. "You know better, Sesshoma-"

He yanked me in & the warm water rushed up my pants leg, shirt & my nose. I panicked for a split second, forgetting that I could swim until I realized I could just stand. I stood slowly, my hair hanging over my eyes & searched out Sesshomaru who was smiling at me arrogantly.

"You're in trouble now" I growled.

An excited growl ripped from his throat & I lunged after him, barely missing his shirt sleeve. He dove under the surface, power swimming to the opposite side like a silver turpedo. His hair reflected the sun so beautifully I could imagine him being a mermaid-err, merman. I dove after him, swerving around Inuyasha who was running in slow motion to the edge of the pool to get out of the water. I grabbed Sesshomaru's ankle as soon as his hand touched the edge of the pool & pulled him to me. Despite the water being so blue all the colors looked the same as it did out of the water even though his eyes glowed like fire. He flashed his fangs in a non-intimidating way & wrapped his arms around my neck, pulling me to him into a fierce kiss. His silver tresses enveloped us in an erotic curtain & I forgot how to breathe, much less remember that I needed air in the first place. I slipped my hand under his shirt & ran my fingers over his skin excitedly, feeling pleased when I felt him smiling into our kiss. He pulled back & exhaled a load of bubbles into my face. When they cleared, I caught his shoe pulling out the water & followed.

"-Down there forever. Thought I was about to be a witness a murder" Inuyasha was saying as I surfaced, flinging the hair out of my face.

Sesshomaru pulled his shirt off & wrung his hair out, a gentle smile on his face & eyes closed. I was mesmerized by the way his pants clung to his long legs, my eyebrows raising when I realized...he didn't have any underwear on.

"Free balling, eh?" I asked, pulling myself out the water & ditching my shirt as well.

Sesshomaru's eyes travelled up & down my body, unconsciously licking his lips. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Damn, you had to chuck your boxers cause you had that many shit stains in it?" Inuyasha cackled, yelping when Sesshomaru flung a rock at his head. Hard. Even I grimaced.

"I like being clean, you jackass" he retorted, frowning, "I still have the boxers, they're just folded up in my duffel bag"

"Hey, I heard something about how you can make your own soap" Inuyasha commented, shaking himself like a dog. I glared at him as the droplets landed on me.

"I am not using lard" Sesshomaru grumbled, shaking his hair out & sauntering back towards the car.

Inuyasha & I followed & found the inu-youkai climbing on top of the car, laying himself on his back & fanning his hair out. I swear if I had a camera I'd love to take a picture; he looked like some kind of erotic super model. I distracted myself by digging around in the gym bag for a bag of BBQ potato chips.

"No matter how long ya lay there, you'll still be pale as a sparklin' vampire" Inuyasha grumbled.

"One, I'm not doing this to get a tan & two, I look much better than any of those so called vampires in that damned movie" Sesshomaru retorted, frowning.

"Yet still just as gay"

I stopped breathing for a moment, wondering had Inuyasha seen anything. I know Sesshomaru said earlier that he was ready to come out to his brother but I don't think this was really the right time.

Sesshomaru opened one eye to look at his little brother before slowly raising a hand & flicking him off.

"Ha, not even if you got me shit faced" the half breed snorted, flopping down in the passenger seat & reclining the seat back.

The first bite of the potato chips had me sighing in pleasure. I had forgotten how damn good these things were. Before I knew it, I was pouring the last few crumbles into my mouth, loudly sucking the seasoning off my fingers. How long had it been since my last meal? Why was I just now realizing how damn hungry I was?

Sesshomaru looked over at me, one silver eyebrow arched. "Was it that good, Naraku?"

"Scrumptious" I muttered. I wonder if we could afford for me to eat another bag?

"It sounded like you sucked your fingerprints off"

I chuckled & leaned against the hood of the car. It was begining to get uncomfortablly hot now; I noticed Inuyasha had shifted his hair off the back of his neck & Sesshomaru had his face turned away from the sun now. The dip we took earlier kept us cool for a little while but now our clothes were just barely damp. Despite the water being so warm I was considering getting back in, if only just to get wet again then air-dry in order to cool off.

I looked over at Sesshomaru to let him know I was going to get back in but found the inu-youkai asleep or in a very lucid state. His breathing had evened out & his full lips were parted. I suddenly wondered how the hell did anyone fall alseep in hot, direct sunlight on top of a car during a zombie apocalypse. Grinning mischievously, I climbed onto the car & stalked towards him like a predator, noticing Inuyasha peeking out at me over the hood of the car. When I was hovering over Sesshomaru I was getting ready to try & scare him but he inhaled deeply, opened his eyes then looked at me. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion but smoothed out & he placed a gentle hand on my cheek, startling me.

"Uh..." I started, stiffening.

His eyes widened & his hand flashed back to his side, eyes darting over in the direction I was pretty sure Inuyasha was still staring at us from.

"Did I scare you?" I asked, trying to play off the intimate moment.

One side of Sesshomaru's lip lifted in a silent snarl. "No, you woke me up, you jackass. Get off of me"

I chuckled & climbed off, needlessly adjusting my clothes to avoid Inuyasha's questioning stare. "I'm going to take another dip"

At the water's edge I stripped & eased my body into the very warm water, sighing. What did Inuyasha think of what he saw? Had he figured anything out? It honestly didn't take a genius to see what was going on here but I hoped & prayed that maybe he didn't see the whole thing & only saw when Sesshomaru snatched his hand away from my face. Did I honestly care about if the half breed knew about our relationship? Not really. But I knew that if he did he might wind up saying something that would hurt Sesshomaru & things would just go downhill from there. I hoped they'd talk it out in my absence & there was no tension because honestly...after what Kagura said to me I was ready to come out with my relationship with Sesshomaru


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm not very fond of this chapter...like at all. My heart really wasn't in it [I wrote it so long ago I don't even remember what was going on with me] but I promise it gets better &, well, it'll be ending...really soon. I mean like...in 3 more chapters lol. Big shoutout to my dedicated readers whonever fail to leave me a review, even if it's just to say, "I love this story, I can't wait for the next chapter!". You guys keep me going =]**

**Pardon any mistakes please & thank you =]**

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><p>I was ready to move on but Sesshomaru managed to talk me into staying by the water for an extra day. I was personally tired of the place, the only game around being scrawny squirrels &amp; sick deer though we did get lucky &amp; caught a boar one night. It had rammed me in the back of my leg, causing me to shout in surprise (I had been daydreaming) &amp; in a blink of an eye Sesshomaru had the thing on its back, his fangs in its throat, drinking greedily. My eyes widened as I felt myself grow hard at his moans &amp; grunts; his eyes fluttering closed as he drained the boar's life from its body &amp; pulled back, delicately licking its blood from around his mouth &amp; claws. Why did I find him covered in blood such a turn on? Wasn't that a little weird?<p>

We actually spent most of the time in the spring or near it. There really wasn't anything to do in the car, not to mention the leather seats made it feel like we were being baked, as hot as the sun made it & we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There was an abandoned building a few miles down the road but when we got close Sesshomaru smelled corpses so we just turned right back around.

We had some pretty interesting conversations in the spring like the conversation about women we had one night...

"Ok...pancake nipples or little ones?" Inuyasha asked.

Sesshomaru frowned, thinking. "Is this a nipple with an actual nipple or just an areola?"

"It has a nipple on it"

"Pancake nipples it is then"

"I don't mind little ones..." I said in a low voice.

"Little nipples on big breasts look strange" Sesshomaru mumbled, cleaning his claws.

"But they always look hard & ready to suck on" I countered.

"Big ones get hard...eventually..." he replied.

"Man, as long as she has nice tits & nice nipples, I ain't gunna be picky" Inuyasha drawled, stretching, "Damn, what time is it? Fuckin' tired"

"I'm sure it's close to two in the morning" his brother said.

"Shit, let me go to sleep. Catch y'all later"

Sesshomaru mumbled a goodnight as the half breed hefted himself up out of the water. My eyebrows furrowed as the bubbles in the water died down as soon as the hanyou got out then Sesshomaru & I exchanged quick, surprised glances before hopping out the water.

It was almost fun on most days. It was easy to forget we were in the middle of a zombie apocalyspe & the world's undead population had probably reached 99% by now. We occassionally hunted in the surrounding woodline when we got bored enough to or Sesshomaru & I would have "dates", which was actually just walking through the woods at night, holding hands & flirting. We always looked forward to it & made us more & more comfortable with our relationship.

One night we were ambling back to the car, our pinkies linked, when Inuyasha hopped off the top of the car, his eyebrow raised. "Hey, where'd you guys go?"

"Hunting" Sesshomaru answered simply, unlinking our pinkies in a quick, smooth fashion. We may be comfortable with our relationship but not completely comfortable with Inuyasha knowing yet.

"I was lookin' for y'all. I think I saw someone walking around over there by that abandoned building down there"

Sesshomaru tensed a little. "Did you get a good look at them?"

"No, not really. It's too dark to see that far & then they were wearin' dark clothes. But I mean for all I know, it could'a been my imagination"

Sesshomaru rummaged in the duffel bag & pulled out three guns, passing one to me & Inuyasha before cocking one for himself. "Just in case"

Inuyasha tucked his in the back of the waistband of his jeans. "Yeah"

"Was it the only one you saw?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just that one"

"We should stay on our toes just in case there are mo-"

"Naraku, duck!"

I instintively rolled out the way as Inuyasha whipped the gun out of his waistband & shot. I looked up to find a zombie fall, a gaping hole in its forehead & noticed several zombies a few yards from us.

"Ah, fuck" Sesshomaru swore & fired off a shot at the closest ones, "Get in the car & let's go!"

I stood & took out my gun, covering for him. "You go, I got this"

"Naraku, are you sure?"

"I'm positive, just go!"

He took off & gathered a few of our belongings that we'd kind of left lying around & tossed them into the trunk. I backed up slowly, sweeping my gun & shooting the closest ones. It seemed more & more were appearing from the woodline; where the hell did they come from? We were just in there a few minutes ago...

"Naraku, let's go!"

I fired one last shot & slid across the hood of the Mustang before hopping into the driver's seat & taking off. A handful of zombies wandered out into the road & I tried my best to avoid hitting them all while trying not to throw Sesshomaru into the door.

"They came out of nowhere" he breathed, frowning.

"They've gotten stealthier. We lingered in that area too long" I said through gritted teeth, swerving around a zombie who had no arms.

Four zombies were walking abreast of each other so I had no choice but to hit them. It seemed there were more & more zombies now; they must have heard the gunshots.

"Ugh, this shit here..." Sesshomaru grumbled before rolling the window down all the way, lifting himself until his torso was hanging out the window & began shooting the zombies in the way.

"Sessh, are you _crazy_?" Inuyasha shouted.

"I'm fine!" the inu-youkai replied, "Just don't swerve, Naraku!"

I made an extra effort to turn & go around them as smoothly as possible. Sesshomaru shot a few of them that were right in front of the car so they fell & I had no choice but to run over them. He'd grunt in annoyance & hold on then proceed. Sometime amongst that chaos my mind wandered & I thought about something: Inuyasha had actually saved me. Had it not been for him telling me to duck I might've been bitten & killed. My pride reared its head; I didn't want to say anything to him but I guess I had no choice.

"That was...some quick thinking back there" I bit out.

I noticed he frowned at me in the rearview mirror. "Uh...thanks...?"

I swallowed, gripping the steering wheel. "Just wanted to...to say t-thanks...for saving my ass"

His face relaxed into an easy smile & I tensed, thinking he was about to rub it in my face that I had to show my gratification which in turn meant I had to drop this grudge. "Yeah. No problem man"

Hm. That's it then? No poking fun? No teasing? Just...'no problem, man'? Well...maybe I misjudged this kid. I'm not sure how I honestly expected him to be the perfect travelling companion; even I had my faults (as much as I hated to admit them).

Sesshomaru slid back into his seat, sighing heavily. "There. Better?"

I'd just noticed that the road had cleared up quite a bit; most of the zombies were walking off to the side. Several of them watched us pass but didn't seem that interested (or maybe they knew it was pointless to walk after a speeding car).

"So where do we go now?" Inuyasha asked quietly after a long silence.

"Somewhere far from here" I answered. I could only hope far from here was safe & we wouldn't run out of gas before we got there

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The next night we came across a lake with a baby blue beach house a few yards from it's shoreline. Besides a starved cat & a dead zombie with an axe embedded in its head, that was the only thing in the house but for some reason we all agreed not to sleep in it. It had this weird, 'sometimes it feels like somebody's watching me' vibe to it. Luckily there was a little sunhouse, for lack of a better description, off to the side. There were several floor to cieling windows along one wall that did not have any screens up on them but later we found the screens in a large walk in closet. The house was fairly small, being about the size of a spacious living room, complete with a sofa (which folded out into a bed), a loveseat, coffee table & fireplace.

"I bet this is a great place to view sunrises & sunsets" Sesshomaru mused from the sofa, running his fingers through his hair slowly.

"& have a party" Inuyasha added.

"I'm pretty sure it was put here to watch nature" I said, dragging our bags over to a corner, out of the way.

"Hey I like nature as much as the next guy but come summer, you get some babes in skimpy bikinis with a booming sound system & some drinks & it's a wrap" the hanyou chuckled. I noticed Sesshomaru roll his eyes & I grinned.

I sat down heavily on the loveseat. How long will we have to keep running? I just wanted something interesting to happen already or at least get to another gated city soon. I couldn't figure out exactly why I was so restless until I realized I missed Kagura being around. Rather than being sad, I felt a thwang of nostalgia tug at my heart. How was she now? Had the horde arrived? Was she okay? Had she fully recovered yet? Sesshomaru interrupted my thoughts with a mischeivous smirk that he directed at me. "How do you think the water feels?"

We all looked at each other before we bolted up & shot down to the water, tossing our shirts away & jumping in. I was the first to hit the water & didn't feel the temperature for a moment then the cold suddenly slammed into me & I surfaced with a loud shudder, my teeth already chattering. A few feet from me Sesshomaru surfaced, tossing his silver hair our of his eyes & letting out low howl as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"It's freezing!"

Inuyasha spluttered to the surface & immediately began swimming back to shore. "Hell naw, this water is too f-f-fucking cold!"

We followed much more slowly, hissing when we stirred the current too much & the cold water lapped at our bellies & back. Eventually we made it & stumbled back to the sunhouse, finding afgans thrown over the sofa & two more in the closet. We wrapped ourselves up tightly, still shivering, our skin paler than ever & lips slightly blue.

"T-That was pretty s-stupid" Sesshomaru admitted.

"But d-d-damn we gatta do that again!" his brother crowed.

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I happened to be lounging in the lake late one night when Sesshomaru came by, his eyes half lidded & glowing almost an orange shade of color. By now I'd gotten used to the cold water & actually enjoyed it, especially during the day when it was hot. Now at probably four or five in the morning, it was already cold outside & the water was even colder. But I needed something to distract me while Sesshomaru did a few hundred push ups & sit ups, grunting once he reached six hundred & thirty & causing me to get a hard on. I was glad he followed me out here though; I didn't have to worry about Inuyasha catching us so early in the morning since Icould hear him snoring even from here anyway.

I shifted my arms to rest on the edge behind me, tilting my head. "How nice of you to join me, Sesshomaru"

I noticed his lips tilt upwards in a sort of grin but those eyes kept my attention. He looked so...predetory, it made my heart race in excitment. He slipped out of his shirt slowly then slowly got into the water, his eyes staying on me the whole time. I thought we'd share a romantic, climactic moment before we kissed but he just took my face in both hands & kissed me roughly, his mouth opening immediately to let me in. A groan rumbled up from my throat & vibrated in my chest which caused him to moan softly as well, his body pressing closer to mine. The kiss got rougher & faster & our breathing hitched. My head began to spin; we were taking this way too fast! We weren't ready! But everytime I moved my hands to his shoulders to stop him my hands would wander over his tantilizing skin, down his back & over his ass, squeezing them tightly. Sesshomaru paused but didn't freeze up or pull away so I took that to mean I hadn't gone too far yet.

I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, dipping my head to place heated kisses on his pale column of neck. "You taste so good" I whispered huskily into his ear.

One of his hands slowly ran up my ribcage, causing me to shiver, & hesitantly fondled a nipple. I couldn't help the grin that tilted my lips upwards; I think he was sure when he told me he was ready to have sex but I also think he was just now begining to understand what he was about to get himself into. He surprised me by nipping me on my bottom lip, which drew blood. A deep purr, almost a growl, vibrated in his chest & he sucked greedily, fingers clutching my shoulders & caressing my skin. I moaned & pulled him closer; I don't think he could ever be too close.

He leaned back & stared at me with those hypnotizing gold eyes, breathing hard. "I want you, Naraku"

Oh those words made me melt! I hitched his leg around my waist grabbed his ass, grinding into him. His mouth fell open & he was taking a deep breath before I put a hand over his mouth.

"We gatta be quiet, baby" I breathed.

"Oh my God..." he moaned, his voice muffled. I grinned.

I only had on a pair of shorts at the moment so I was pretty positive he could feel my erection sliding against him. Not like either of us cared; it seemed that Sesshomaru wasn't even fazed by it. After a few minutes of making out he slowly slid his hand down my torso & fingered my hardened cock, causing my head to fall back. Damn that felt nice. From there he seemed unsure of what to do but I simply wrapped my hand around his own & guided his hand up & down my growing shaft, constantly fighting back moan after moan, especially when he curiously stroked my balls. Kami, he must have had years of masterbating to be this good because there was no way he was a natural.

I grabbed him by his waist & hefted him up on the edge of the lake, lifting myself up afterwards & hovering over him. I ravished his neck while fumbling with the button on his pants, finding myself getting distracted by his moans, soft sighs & slow intakes of breath that sounded like hissing. His hands roamed up my back & down my chest & even through my hair & down to squeeze my ass. I had to control the chuckle that threatened to break free when he did that; that was pretty unexpected. I plunged my hand into his pants & had to slap my hand over his mouth again as he stiffened & got ready to moan louder than he'd been already.

He exhaled heavily through his nose, eyes sliding closed. "God, Naraku..."

I jacked him off teasingly slow, smirking when he squirmed & wriggled, so damn close to whimpering. I wanted to satisfy him, I really did but I don't think he was quite ready for the full effect yet. We'd have to build up to that. "You're a big boy, eh?"

When I flicked the pad of my thumb over the weeping head he gasped, back arched off the ground. "N-Naraku...f-fuck..."

I know he wanted to beg me to fuck him & Kami knew I'd love to hear him do it but I knew he had too much pride to do so. "You like that, huh?"

"Shit...yes..." he whispered, eyes closed tight.

Feeling encouraged by his response I ground my hips down onto his, shuddering & shivering in delight. This time Sesshomaru had to slap his own hand over his mouth to contain the moan & I grit my teeth hard. I couldn't imagine how it would be when we'd have sex but there was no way we'd be able to contain ourselves from being loud, that's for sure.

"Do it again" he whispered, his hand palming the back of my neck, "Oh God, Naraku, do it again"

I complied, my arms nearly giving out on me. "Oh...fuck..."

His long legs held me to him as his pelvis rose over & over again to meet mine & I settled on my elbows, our lips locked once again. He trailed his claws up my back & over my shoulders, his tongue stroking mine sensuously & our kiss getting rougher as we moved against each other faster & faster, frantically seeking release.

"Naraku! Unnnngh, God...fuck...fuck me! Uh, shit!"

I buried my face in his neck, my muscles locking one by one as my climax neared. I wanted to have sex with him, more than he would ever know probably. But our trust in each other hadn't reached that point yet of holding strong if something happened. I wasn't an expert in butt sex but I was pretty sure it'd hurt him if...when...we had sex.

"Oh God...ohhhh fuck, Naraku...ah shit!"

I drove my claws into the dirt as I came & pressed my face harder into his neck, the effort of keeping my moan at bay causing me not to be able to breathe. Sesshomaru clung to me hard, his claws digging painfully into my shoulders but damn it hurt so good. The throes of the climax passed quicker for me than it did for him; I leaned back to look at his face to find his mouth open in a silent moan, eyes rolled back & face red from not taking a breath.

I licked his bottom lip. "You'll need to breathe eventually, sweetheart"

He inhaled sharply & barely restrained a moan that was actually still pretty loud even though he was biting his bottom lip hard. He lay there panting & moaning softly for a while, gradually relaxing before he spoke. "That was...was-"

"Disturbing!"

Sesshomaru & I both jerked our heads up to find Inuyasha staring at us incredulously, his mouth hanging open in shock & dark eyebrows furrowed in anger.

I shot up into a standing position to try & save Sesshomaru's dignity even though I already knew it was too late. I had to try though right?

"Yasha..." Sesshomaru started.

When he stood slowly & walked towards his little brother, reaching out to take his arm, Inuyasha jerked back, his fangs bared. "Don't 'Yasha' me"

"Don't be mad, I was going to tell yo-"

"Save it!" the half breed spat, "I don't need neither one of you tellin' me all this bullshit to keep me out y'all's business! Like I don't already know y'all think of me as a fuckin' kid! Now I find out you're a fuckin' queer? Man, fuck both of y'all!"

He stomped off, furious, & left Sesshomaru & I in awkward silence. I couldn't see the inu-youkai's face but I could almost feel the pain & shame radiating off of him at the moment. I felt like I should say something but...what should I say exactly? Or was it one of those moments where you had to leave people alone for a moment?

I took a step forward, my hand partially extended. "Sessh-"

"Naraku, I...I really need to be alone right now" he whispered, his arms crossing but not in a defensive way. More like the way he wrapped his arms around himself when he had that emotional breakdown at that house with the kid...

"Ok" I said softly, "I understand"

I walked off in the opposite direction from the sunhouse. I honestly had no idea where I was going or even what I had in mind. I felt so bad for Sesshomaru, all I wanted to do was hold him & tell him his brother was an ass but that wasn't about to happen. That man was too stubborn for all of that. A small smile lifted my lips but they fell again as a somber mood overwhelmed me. What were we going to do now?

.

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...

I yawned again as I watched the sun rise. I hadn't slept a wink last night for several reasons: I was so hungry, this rock I was currently sitting on wasn't exactly sleeping material & my brain was nagging me with ceaseless thoughts that poked & prodded me constantly. I'd heard more shouting from the brothers, mostly Inuyasha & wished I could punch him in the mouth. Did he honestly think he made anything better? Sometimes being the outspoken person of the group wasn't always such an admirable quality.

I headed back over to the sunhouse late morning to find Sesshomaru sitting cross legged on top of the car, his head down. At first I thought he was asleep because he was so still but then he shifted his hair over his shoulder, glancing at me. One of my eyebrows rose as I realized his eyes were red. His demon took over his body?

I walked around to look at him in the face. "Sesshomaru?"

He said nothing, only settled his red eyes with teal colored pupils on me. He looked so...sad.

"Sesshomaru, are you...? How is, umm...is everything...?"

Where did I start? Was it ok to practically interrogate him at the moment, even if they had good intentions?

"**I can not be with you**" his voice rumbled, eyes falling.

Now both of my eyebrows rose & I swallowed thickly. "What did you just say?"

**"Inuyasha is my family, the only kin that I have. I can not put anyone or anything else...before him**"

"I...I...wait, no, I don't want you to put me before...Sesshomaru, I...why can't you be with me while still...?"

His eyes connected with mine again, so full of pain, I bowed slightly, my hand pressed against my chest. **"I am sorry"**

He was right in front of me quicker than I could follow & he took my face in both of his hands before kissing me gently. There was no rush, no tongue, no moaning. Just a sweet but meaningful kiss. Then I blinked & he was gone. What was this pain in my chest? It felt like...like something was squeezing my heart so hard I couldn't breathe. It was like the feeling I had when I had to leave Kagura but kind of different. It didn't hurt that much then...I guess because she was confident that she could handle herself. This pain...it was too much.

I slowly sank to my knees. Was I so unimportant that he had to completely cut me off like that just to please his brother? Was I that easy to throw away? My eyes grew hot with a burning rage & sorrow. What was going on with me? Sesshomaru & I weren't even a couple, why was I feeling such strong emotions? I didn't understand at all. I didn't understand why Sesshomaru was letting me go, I couldn't understand why we couldn't just be together, I couldn't understand why...why this _pain _was effecting me so damn _much!_

I took a deep breath, frowning. Get a hold on yourself. Get it together. Gather your balls. There, that's better. I couldn't get butt hurt all because he was putting his brother before me. That's what any reasonable person would do right? Only an honorable person would sacrifice their happiness for someone they loved, correct? Sesshomaru didn't love me, he loved his brother...

The pain actually got worse & I groaned, bending at the waist. Oh, my God, I couldn't take this anymore! I felt like my heart was about to burst through my chest & fall to the ground then shatter like glass...but really it felt like my heart was shattering right there in my chest cavity. I let out a low moan, bowing my head. I want him...I want him happy...I want him satisfied...I want him to smile at me again...I want here...I...I love him...I love Sesshomaru...that's why it hurt so much for him to let me go. Was he feeling the same way? Did Inuyasha demand he let me go or else he'd do something drastic & stupid? Oh I wanted to beat that brat's face in again. I don't see Sesshomaru the type of guy to be blackmailed into doing something he didn't want to do but I knew how much he loved his brother; he'd go all out of that his way to keep that brat happy. That filthy little bastard! I'll be damned if I let him take one of the best things that ever happened to me!

I started as I heard a roar & then tires screeching. When I looked up the Mustang was taking off down the road in a cloud of dust, the tail lights mocking me. They...left...

I stood up, still in too much shock to really feel anything at the moment.

They

Left

Me

Here

A hot flash shot through my body & my hands curled into fists, trembling. They left me here...alone. Without a car. Without an explaination. What was I going to do now? A growl started in the bottom of my chest cavity, rose up my throat & ripped out of my mouth as a vicious snarl. An overwhelming sense of helplessness clawed at my heart; so I'd have to _walk _to the nearest gated city? I don't even know where I'm going, much less which direction I want to go in & they have the nerve to _leave _me?

My snarl morphed into a howl of frustration, my face raised to the sky. I don't think I've ever been this pissed (the time I got pissed at those guys fucking with Kagura comes very close to this anger) but most of all: I don't think I've ever felt so...alone.

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	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! Decided to update earlier since I'm not going to be home Sunday & can't bring my laptop with me. & man was I surprised by the response to the last chapter! I didn't think there would be such a negative response towards Sesshomaru xD. I can't really defend him but then again I can't agree with you guys either: he kind of put his brother before Naraku simply because that was the only family he had left. Not necessarily was Naraku unimportant but Sesshomaru felt he had a responsiblity to protect & keep his brother happy. But I promise I will make it up to you guys in the upcoming chapters as I start to wrap this story up! Thank you again so very much for your feedback; I truly appreciate it =]**

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><p>I don't remember when I decided to go back in the sunhouse, get what little was left of my belongings (just a few clothes &amp; two guns which I put in a backpack I found in the walk-in closet) &amp; set off. I don't remember how I decided on which way to go or even around the time I left. I just remember having a one track mind-set: get Sesshomaru back. I didn't care at the time where he was, what he told me, or how long it'd take to get to him, I was going to get him back &amp; I'd blow this whole town down if I had to.<p>

I trekked for days & days. It had to be close to three weeks before a lone gas station & abandoned building interrupted the long expanse of desert. The weather had gotten so cold now, even in the daytime that I was glad to finally find a decent place to lay my head. I think the abandoned building used to be an old paper mill or the such: there were yellowed papers covering the floor, faded black titles announcing the United States's first half black president or the headline about that American singer, Whitney Houston, dying. I wonder how long this building had been like this? I'm surprised it hadn't been torn down. Assuming the last print was in 2012 (I couldn't find any more recent papers after February 13, 2012) this place was pretty ancient.

I sat my bag down & walked around to make sure I was the only one here. I was glad to see that I was, minus a cow spotted cat on the top floor, pulling what looked like a mouse apart as it fed greedily. I cringed as my stomach growled loudly & my mouth watered as I watched the cat feed but I told myself I wasn't quite that hungry enough to eat a cat. I settled for some little birds I found in a tree nearby & called it a day.

As the sun set I contemplated what my next move would be. It was so tempting to kill myself, it honestly was. I considered hanging myself from the tree where I got my dinner or shooting myself through the temple but then Sesshomaru's face would pop up into my head & a determination kept me going. It was not by no means easy, being out here alone, hungry, & with only one thing to lose.

As I continued my trek I had a couple of close calls with zombies. The first time I'd run into one after being abandoned I'd gotten so angry I grabbed the stringy, dirty hair it had left on its head & bashed its face into the ground repeatedly before I took an axe I found in the abandoned building (another case of random objects being in certain places) & chopped it to peices then set it on fire, watching in smug satisfaction. I know they didn't ask to be this way. I knew it was the government's fault for being arrogant & acting as if they were gods. How exactly do you take revenge on the government though?

I felt like my mind was frying most days. I had no companions, no one to talk to, nothing to stimulate my mind except fighting for my life when I ran into a zombie. If I questioned my morals before I definitely questioned them now. There were times I had seen a crowd of zombies tearing a still live human or animals apart & I considered joining them due to being so hungry (I found out that when zombies were eating they'd leave me alone until they finish their meal). Sometimes the human would call out to me for help, begging me to save them but I'd just stand by, my mouth watering as their blood puddled on the ground or my stomach growling as the zombies bit into the meat. Was I a horrible person? I didn't think so. Was I becoming desperate for food? Most definitely.

On the third week of my travels I found a dog curled up on the steps of an old courthouse, its eyes closed. It raised its head as I got closer then slowly walked down the steps to sniff at my shoes. I don't know why I stopped to let it do as it pleased then dropped into a kneel & petted its head.

"Hey there..." I said softly, "Why are you out here all alone? Do you feel lonely too, buddy?"

I felt silly talking to an animal but I felt a little better. I hadn't heard my voice in so long my voice was husky & rough. The dog leaned into my hand, closing its eyes in esctasy. From what I could see it was a male. I looked over its fur color & features: it was a chocolate brown with a cream colored heart shaped patch on his chest. He looked like a chocolate lab (I honestly was not very familiar with dog breeds) but he could've been a mutt. His hazel, almost green eyes looked at me like he was begging for something.

"Are you hungry boy?" I asked, scratching his ears, "You want some food too? Come on, let's go hunt"

I wasn't sure why exactly I was thrilled with having a dog as a companion now. Was it solely because I missed having a companion or...or did it make me think of Sesshomaru?

I named the dog Musou. Though I'd hoped he'd cheer me up a bit with his company, he actually made me feel more nostalgic. We hunted together often; he'd usually pick up a squirrel or rabbit & every once in a while I might get lucky & come across an animal that escaped from the nearby zoo or find a sluggish bird. I guess Musou had been on his own for a while because even he knew to lay low & be quiet if a large group of zombies went by & if they heard us to run like hell (I wanted to save my bullets for when I was in great need of them & I had no other weapons on me. I refused to engage in hand to hand combat).

I thought of Sesshomaru often, especially right before I went to sleep. I wondered what he was doing, if he was thinking of me, did he know where he was going & things like that. I nearly drove myself crazy with the questions to be honest & I'd have to get up & start exercising to tire myself out. Usually running about forty miles or doing five thousand jumping jacks would do the trick & put me to sleep from the sheer exhaustion but if he wasn't on my mind before I fell asleep he was on my mind when I woke up. I always hoped to see him when I opened my eyes but most of the time I'd be faced with Musou's messy kisses or getting hit in the face with his tail. Still, I think I was more angry with that beautiful inu-youkai than I was with that bratty half breed brother of his. I understand why he left me but did he literally have to leave me like that? Why did it have to be that serious? I was having my doubts about whether it was Sesshomaru's idea to leave me or Inuyasha's & then I wondered exactly why they left. But I guess I'd have to wait to see them to find out the answers to those questions.

...

...

...

...

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.

Two months had gone by & I still hadn't found any damn gated cities. Was I even going in the right direction? Was it worth turning around, trekking through all the miles I had behind me to see if I could find one in that direction? I didn't think so. I had survived many close calls with the zombies, suffering a large scar down my eyebrow (thankfully one that wasn't inflicted by a zombie itself so I didn't have to worry about turning) & brought Musou & I out of a lot of hairy situations. I'd fashioned a peice of steel I found into a point then tied it tightly to a handle blade I snatched out of a convienant store, making a knife. With that knife I tried my best to keep Musou's fur tamed though the end results would make me cringe, his fur looking severly uneven & raggedy. I finally chose to just keep it brushed & let it grow.

I sighed as I wiped my handmade knife off in the grass then dipped my hands in the clear river water & splashed it on my face before washing my hands. Musou & I were going to eat good tonight; I'd caught a wandering giraffe a few minutes ago. It zapped me of my strength trying to bring it down (I hadn't eaten in eight days) but when I was able to get it on its side Musou came in for the kill & bit into its tender neck. He waited patiently for me to eat first by my side, his eyes shifting from the water to my face. I'm not sure why he wants me to always eat first. Maybe for some reason he sees me as his alpha but I was pretty sure he knew I wasn't a dog demon.

"Alright, Moo-Moo, let's eat" I said but he only shifted to watch me better as I walked over to the carcass & began eating. I always thought it was a bit strange to be watched while I ate but I guess I'd grown used to it. As soon as I nodded he crawled forward, his ears flat & began to hungrily devour the leftovers, growling to show his pleasure. I washed the blood off of my face & hands & watched the sky. Sun set would be on us within the next hour or so. We needed to find shelter before then so we could rest easy. We learned early on that it was always much better to find shelter at night than even sleeping at high altitudes. The zombies weren't the only things out there looking for something to eat. I'd discovered some surviving half demons a few weeks ago but they were more like cavemen than anything, being dressed in animal skins, wild hair with leaves & twigs tangled in it & barely able to speak. They ran away from us, turning around every once in a while to make sure we weren't following & mumbling in what I think was English to each other. Yeah, it was weird.

Musou licked his chops & looked at me expectantly, his dinner finished.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's go"

I gathered the bag of handmade weapons & the two guns then set off towards the abandoned hospital just down the road. Somehow the lights were still on, the ones that didn't have busted lights, anyway & I could still feel air conditioning flowing from the air vents. It still smelled like strong medicine & sickness but it also smelled dusty, stale & old. I opened the front doors cautiously & walked slowly past the reception desk & waiting room. A few light beams hung vertically to the floor, the flickering light throwing shadows that the abandoned cots & stretchers left. Papers practically covered the floor & blood was flung against the walls, leaving bloody handprints & what looked like something had been dragged across the floor. Many of the doors were closed but a few were open, revealing bloody remains of patients & machines squealing. Musou walked close to my right leg, his head low; it was obvious he was very uncomfortable with the smells & sounds & I didn't blame him because the smells made my nose wrinkle.

I found an empty room down the hall & closed the door quietly, setting my things down. "Alright, boy. We should get some rest so we can be on our way first thing in the morning"

Musou sat in one of the two chairs pulled up to the bed but didn't relax, his ears perked & mouth closed.

I tilted my head. "What's wrong, boy? You smell or hear something?"

A low growl emitted from his throat. I slowly slid the knife from the waistband of my jeans & watched the door. Was it a zombie? It sure was being quiet. Usually I could hear their heavy breathing or noisy shuffling from a good distance but all I could hear was Musou growling, the air conditioning humming & machines in other rooms beeping. A shadow appeared under the door & Musou's top lip curled to reveal his fangs, his growling growing stronger before I held a finger to my lips & he quieted. I didn't want whoever was out there to know we were in here. I only really wanted to fight if I had to, not if I-

My heart dropped as I realized I hadn't locked the door & I shot toward it just as it began to open, holding my gun to the forehead of whoever was behind it. I stood still as a man slowly raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, his lavender eyes not afraid but still cautious.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

His eyes only narrowed but he said nothing. I guess the mask he was wearing had something to do with that.

I cocked the gun. "Take that stupid mask off & tell me who you are"

He shifted but didn't move to take off the mask, his eyes narrowing further but they squinted in a way that indicated...he was smiling...

"I will count to three. If you don't take that mask off I'm going to blow a hole through your brain"

As soon as I uttered those words he lashed out with his sharp claws & I barely able to dodge though my sleeve was ripped off of my shirt. He was on me again before I even recovered, pinning me down on the floor with one hand. I grunted. This guy was unbelieveably strong, being able to pin me down like this. No doubt he was a demon but was he infected at all? Why does he wear that mask?

Musou was barking loudly, his haunches raised as he shifted around, looking for an opening to attack. I wanted him to be quiet in case he attracted more attackers but I was too busy trying to get this guy off of me. I was finally able to plant the balls of my feet against his belly & launch him off of me. He flipped cleanly in the air & landed in a crouch, his eyes glaring now & shifting between Musou & I. I fired the gun without hesitation, aiming for his forehead but he moved so quickly I couldn't even follow him. He moved so quickly he left a faint trail of light in his wake. His long lavender colored hair covered some of his movements & provided an excellent distraction. Should he lunge at me & hide his attack until right before it landed on me I'd be screwed but I was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

I paused as he jumped back & landed in a crouch on the wall but continued shooting after I got over the shock. What the hell kind of demon was he, sticking to the wall like that?

The mask around his mouth shattered like glass & a glowing, glittering sort of mist flowed out of his mouth as he emitted a low kind of hiss, his fangs bared & painted lips curled back. Musou's barking got even louder, snarling & lowering his head. There was something really unsettling about this guy...

I started as a light flashed out of the corner of my eyes, my body shifting to the right. A few seconds later a felt a warm, burning sensation on my cheek & when I touched it blood dripped off of my fingers. What the hell? Had this wound always been here? When did it happen?

"Just tell me who the fuck you are or get the fuck out!" I said in an authoritative voice.

I took a quick step to the side as another flash of light came at me again & the man grinned, his grin more like a sneer though & hissing becoming louder. "Your blood is so rich & addicting. I already want more"

I froze. Who said that? I had been looking at the man when I heard the voice & his mouth hadn't moved. Was the voice over the PA system? No...no, I would've heard it echoing in the hallways. Maybe it was in my head...

The flash landed over by the lavender haired man & transformed into a small snake like demon with large scythe that were longer than his body for arms. He actually looked exactly like the other man, besides his body shape & size. His eyes was a strange yellowish green & dried blood caked the area around his mouth. "You...you taste so much better than anyone we've fed off of here in this sick place. Where did you come from?"

"I'm the one asking the questions!" I said, frowning, "Who are you? Where did _you _come from?"

"Ah, pardon me" the thing said sarcastically, waving one scythe arm airily around its head, "I've forgotten my manners since the world ended & I personally don't give a damn about it since being bitten"

My eyes widened. He'd been bitten? As in by a zombie? I wonder if something was going to happen to me now that he's cut my chee-

"I am Kageromu & this is my younger brother, Juromaru. Don't fret your little head, I didn't bite you. I simply cut you to see how your blood tasted. It has been quite a while since I've tasted such a delicacy"

"Where did you come from?" I growled, narrowing my eyes.

"I dwell in Juromaru's belly. I suck his life force slowly & command him to hunt for me in the meantime so that I may remain strong"

I watched Juromaru's facial expression & body language. He was alert but relaxed, his eyes watching me absentmindedly, as if he was looking past me. His eyes had a very faint yellowish green tint to it but he didn't seem to be as hungry as someone like Kageromaru. He actually seemed quite...docile now that he wasn't under orders from his brother now.

"Now how about you just sit there & let me feed!" Kageromaru yelled & lunged at me.

Without thinking I fired the gun & the bullet ripped through Kageromaru's belly & Juromaru's forehead, killing the younger brother as the older one fell to the floor, groaning & writhing.

"Y-you...you bastard!' the little demon shrieked.

I finished it off with my knife, slicing his head off then sighed as I straightened into a standing position. I checked the gun & was glad to see I still had four bullets left in the gun plus the twenty something box of ammo I found in a gun shop a few days ago. Good, so I didn't waste any. I looked over at Musou to find him sitting back in his chair, tail wagging slightly & tongue lolling out. So now that the danger had passed he was relaxed. I grinned & ran my hand over his head & ears.

"Good job boy. Let's get some sleep now so we can get the hell out of here in the morning"

...

...

...

...

..

.

It was hard keeping up with how many days & weeks & months passed. I was more worried about surviving & where our next meal was coming from anyway. Musou was always there but I still felt lonely. Rather than getting used to Sesshomaru, Kagura or even Inuyasha's bratty ass not being around everyday I missed them more & more. Especially my sister...& Sesshomaru. Not a night went by that I didn't send up a quick prayer for them, hoping they were ok. Then I prayed I was going in the right direction because every day I always questioned myself & wondered should I just turn around. Since I had no idea which direction I was headed in I wasn't even sure where I was & where I'd eventually end up if I kept going but for some reason I just kept it moving, hoping for the best but expecting disappointment.

Many, many weeks later I ended up at a beach. It was gorgeous, minus the scattered bodies lying here & there & I was tempted to kick around in the water for a while but instead I just rested, the sound of the waves crashing putting my mind at peace. Musou laid on his side & closed his eyes, his mouth opening for a wide yawn. We'd been travelling for four days straight, putting a great distance between us & the horde that we'd run into a few days ago. It had caught us so off guard we couldn't even find it in us to stand still long enough to piss, much less sleep.

I rubbed his belly. "Take all the time you need, buddy. We'll be here a while"

I closed my eyes & inhaled deeply & slowly, relishing the smell of the salty breeze. How long had it been since I've been to the beach? Last time I remember, Kagura was still a little kid. We'd gone with Mom & Dad...I think it was someone's birthday...ah, that's right, it had been mine. I'd begged Dad to let us stay a little longer because I wanted to gather a lot more seashells but Mom was tired & ready to go back home. She had Kagura wrapped in a towel, waiting almost impatiently while Dad explained to me calmly that we had to go.

"We'll be back soon though, Naraku" he'd said, "Maybe the next time we come there will be even more seashells that look even better than the ones you found today"

But we never went back, not all together as a family. Kagura claimed she was going to the beach on spring break once but I was quite sure she ran off with her boyfriend at the time to his house or some hotel. She'd come back looking sad & haggard.

I looked down at my hand to find a tiny turtle crawling over my fingers, trying to race its brothers & sisters to the water. I smiled & picked it up, chuckling when it continued to wave its flippers as if it was still crawling through sand. I took it down to the water & placed it in the shallow part, feeling an odd sense of pride as it began to swim as if it was my child. I turned around to find about seven more little ones struggling to make it to the water & stepped aside. I don't know why I decided not to help these. I guess I felt like I was interfering with nature.

Just as the last one was close to the water a seagull swooped in & carried it off for its snack. A heaviness settled in my chest; had I helped, that turtle would have made it. But I guess that's just life. Nature was brutal & could be scary & sometimes we couldn't do anything about i-

Musou barked once & I turned quickly, raising my hand to shield myself, drawing my knife with my other hand just in time to parry a blow from a man I didn't recognize. He had been weilding an axe so I was lucky my hand hasn't been chopped off. For a split second I thought maybe he was a zombie (I don't know why since zombies didn't attack with weapons) but then I looked him closely & saw his eyes were not yellow nor had a yellowish green tint to it.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

I was pretty sure this guy was a human of no more than twenty five years old but he was strong, if my reddening skin where I'd parried his attack was anything to go by. "I'm just a wandering traveller, that's all"

The man lowered his axe, relaxing for the most part. "Have you been bitten?"

"No"

He stared at me a moment before extending his hand. "I'm Takede Kuranosuke"

I took his hand & pumped it once. "Naraku"

"What brings you here, Naraku?"

I shifted uncomfortablly. What would this Takede think if I told him I heard about a city that was defended & protected by heavy artillery & the place didn't even exist? He'd think I'm crazy, that's what. "I'm...I'm just looking for a good friend of mine. I think he may be in the next gated city"

Takede raised an eyebrow. "The next gated city is pretty far off. Are you positive your friend is there?"

"No, not positive. But I'm pretty sure that if he's not there, he's on his way there"

He nodded & turned, gesturing for me to follow. "Well you might want to rest & eat before you take off towards Aramitama City"

I frowned, following him. "Aramitama City?"

"Yeah. It's the closest gated city that we have & it's heavily guarded. It's difficult to get in though; one scratch could prevent you from entering because they're so afraid of the infection or virus or whatever they want to refer to it as-"

"The virus that turns people into zombies"

"Right. They want to keep that out of the gates by all means"

I mulled that over. Was this city the heavily guarded one Bankotsu was talking about? Would the scratch I got on my cheek prevent me from getting in? "How far is Aramitama City?"

Takeda made a sound to indicate he was guesstimating. "Uh, about...a three day walk from here, I guess? It's not painfully far but a lot could happen on the way there"

I glanced down at Musou for some reason & he looked at me, inclining his head very slightly. I don't know what exactly happened but I understood that to mean that we would risk walking that far. We could do it.

Takeda glanced back at me. "We'll have to put some Heal on that cheek if you want to get in. Those people are terribly paranoid about any kind of scratch, scar, birthmark, you name it"

He led me to a cave entrance with a hand-made wooden door that looked as if it served absolutely no purpose since it was so worn looking. Maybe it was just meant as a cover & not necessarily to keep things out...?

Takeda knocked three times then opened it before turning to me, his face flushing a bit. "Uh...you don't mind leaving your dog...?"

I blinked before understanding hit. "Oh, sure, sure" I said then turned to my companion, "Stay here for me, Musou"

He sat by the door & I petted his head, murmuring to him how good of a dog he was.

I noticed Takeda smiling easily. "You have a way with dogs, eh?"

Sesshomaru's face flashed before me in my mind & nostalgia tugged on the strings of my heart. I smiled half-heartedly. "Something like that"

We walked into the cave. It was actually pretty spacious though a little on the dark side but it was warm & inviting. In the middle of the roughly circular room was a small fire, two young girls & an old woman eating out of clay bowls around it. The girls, twins by the looks of it, tensed & scooted towards the little old woman who regarded me cautiously.

"Hey you guys this is Naraku" Takeda said, gesturing towards me, "He's on his way to Aramitama City"

The woman nodded. "I'm Shouga. This is Momiji & Botan, my granddaughters. Please make yourself comfortable"

"Thank you" I said humbly, bowing before sitting across from the women.

Takeda flopped down beside me. "Any incidents while I was out?"

Shouga shook her head & set her bowl down. "Minus a large insect Botan found in her bedroll, there were no incidences"

"It was a big spider though!" Botan protested.

"You could've easily crushed it with your hand" Momiji said in a deadpan voice, casting her twin a side-glare.

I cringed, wanting them to change the subject. "So you two are twins?"

"Duh" Momiji answered.

"Yeah. You have any siblings?" Botan asked, her eyes wide as she leaned towards me.

I grinned, nodding once. "I have a younger sister"

"Oh dear where is she? Has she turned?"

"Botan!" Sounga snapped.

"No, no, it's ok" I assured, "My sister is fine. She's just in another city but she's ok"

_I hope..._

"Finish your dinner" Sounga commanded & the twins went back to eating.

The evening went by fairly peaceful, minus the twins' occasional bickering to which Sounga would get on to them. Takeda watched in mild amusement, a gentle smile on his face. How can anyone smile at a time like this? My youki brought to mind the time Inuyasha, Sesshomaru & I fooled around in the spring & the lake, whooping & hollering & tossing each other around playfully like some little boys. Just the memory made me smile so of course this would make Takeda smile. These were the times when you needed to appreciate the little things.

After Takeda finished eating (something that looked like oatmeal with bacon bits in it) he grabbed a tall white can of Heal & sprayed the clear liquid onto the scratch on my cheek & various ones on my arms & legs that I didn't even know I had. Heal was invented a few years ago to replace bandages because people complained that bandages would lose their adhesiveness too quickly. It was simply a clear, odorless, tasteless substance that closed up the wound & left no scarring at all. I'd been very impressed with it when I first tested it & I was thankful Takeda had it or I wouldn't know where I'd go if I was rejected from Aramitama City.

I checked on Musou to see how he was doing. Other than seeming to be very bored he was ok. I offered him my bowl of the oatmeal with bacon bits in it but he backed away from it & later on, brought back a dead squirrel, glaring at me as if I'd tried to poison him. I shrugged & apologized but he only continued eating.

Sleeping in the cave was not as cool as I thought it would be as a boy. It was uncomfortable, damp & I swear there were insects moving around in there. Several times I woke up, thinking I felt someone breathing on my face but when my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw nothing. I wasn't necessarily scared, just grumpy & uncomfortable because I couldn't get much sleep at all.

First thing the next morning Shounga whipped up a quick breakfast of rice & baked fish. Now this was my kind of food. I ate it graciously, bowing & thanking her.

She waved her hand. "Oh child, you're so humble"

I raised an eyebrow. It's been a while since I'd been called child. Did this woman need glasses or could she not tell I was a grown man? "My mother didn't raise a fool with no manners"

Takeda startled us by rushing in & I heard Musou barking & growling madly outside.

"We gatta get out of here, Sounga! Grab the girls!" Takeda said hurridly, snuffing out the fire & grabbing what he could.

"Wait, Takeda what's going-" Sounga started, standing.

"No time! Just get the girls!" he shouted desperately.

"Takeda...?" I started.

He looked at me as if he'd just noticed I was there then placed a hand on my shoulder. "We gatta get the hell out of here. Like right now. Get your dog, we're going out the back entrance"

He took off, grabbing things along the way before I was able to ask more questions & I whipped the door open to pull Musou in. Of course I was curious as to why Takeda was panicking but I wasn't too surprised to see zombies heading our way, their stench already reaching my nose. No, it wasn't the zombies that surprised me at all. It was their numbers. There had to be at least five thousand of them. I couldn't catch my breath; where the hell had they all come from? They covered the hills, the beach, everything, like ants piling out of their colony.

Slowly Musou's barks brought me back out of my dreamstate & I pushed him by his rump inside the cave. "Go, Musou! Go, now!" I shouted.

Just as he skittered inside, I fended off a zombie, giving it a powerhouse kick to the chest & knocking it down. My weapons were inside. I nearly choked on my spit when I realized I'd have to defend the entrance until the others got out safely. It wouldn't be long before these zombies overtook me. Demon I may be but I had my limits as well, especially when it came to numbers this large.

_Please Kami let them get out quickly..._

I fended off a good thirty to forty more zombies before Takeda started calling for me from inside the cave, his voice constricted with stress.

"Is everyone out?" I shouted.

"Yeah, man, let's go!"

"I uh...I can't exactly just _go_ right now!"

He must've opened the door because he screamed, stepping back so fast he tripped over Musou who was continuing to bark madly, growling & snapping at zombies but knowing better than to bite them.

"Naraku, come on man! You can't hold all of them off!"

I gritted my teeth, stomping a zombie's face into the ground. "I know that but I can't just run, you know!"

A few moments went by as I just continued to hold them off. I was begining to tire & felt a desperate sort of helplessly begin to choke off my air. I had to do something but what could I do? There were no trees around so there were no branches around & surprisingly there were no rocks to throw either, just sand. I'd already used my sneaker to beat zombies' faces in & now they were begining to fall apart in my hand. I gritted my teeth again. Something had to give & I refused to be the one-

Takeda tackled a zombie that I had around the neck. "Go! Get out of here!"

I stared with wide eyes, the urge to scream rising in my throat as I realized what he was doing. "Takeda! No!"

"Go you idiot!"

He shrieked as the zombie he'd tackled bite harshly into his neck & another zombie tore into his back. The zombie who'd previously been coming towards me redirected its path & wandered over to Takeda who was still shrieking & crying out.

I covered my mouth in horror, unable to turn away. He'd sacrificed himself...for Sounga...for the twins...but mostly so that I may get away. The hand over my mouth began to tremble as my eyes grew hot. There were still some incredibly heroic people in this world. I can't honestly say I'd sacrifice myself for a stranger or anyone, for that matter. That took balls I wasn't quite sure I had, not that I wanted to find out either though.

I was finally able to close my eyes & look away as Takeda's screaming & hollering turning into gutteral spluttering, as if someone had pour liquid down his throat while he'd been talking. I looked down at Musou who's ears & tail sagged as he watched the horrible scene, a faint high pitch whimper bringing across the messege that even he knew the world lost someone very heroic.

I patted his head. "Come on, boy. Let's get out of here" I whispered.

Musou & I took off through the cave & found a back entrance where Sounga & the twins were huddled in a dark corner, the old woman trying her best to calm Botan down who was damn near hyperventilating.

Sounga looked at me expectantly. "Where's Takeda?"

I swallowed & shook my head which made Botan freak out even more.

"Oh my God, oh my God, Granny, we won't make it! We don't make it! We're going to die, we're going to die, oh God, we're going t-"

My eyes widened & even Sounga looked surprised when Momiji delivered a swift slap to her twin's face, shutting her up. "Chill, Botan. We'll be fine. Just keep your head so we can think this through"

For some reason all of them, even Musou looked to me as if they expected me to do something about all of this. I sighed. "Well we need to leave here. Right now. They won't be occupied for long"

They gathered the few bags they had & scrambled out. We ended up in an open field with a barn off to the right where Botan & Momiji were currently running towards. I swore, whipping out my spear as I saw two zombies lumbering from behind the building.

"Watch out!" Sounga shouted.

I darted in front of the girls & beheaded the zombies before they had even come to a full stop. They screamed, nearly colliding into me but I caught them & sent them running, turning to herd Sounga who couldn't run as fast. The zombies were begining to come from around the front of the entrance so I took that to mean they were done with Takeda & still ready for more.

"If you could just...go a little faster" I said through gritted teeth as Sounga was barely speed walking at the moment.

"Don't rush me child! These bones aren't as young as they used to be!" she snapped, "See that's the problem with you youngsters. You always think you're so much better but you know what? You'll be old like me one day, save Kami watch over you!"

I nodded impatiently. "Yes, yes, now come on, we need to go...like right now!"

Botan & Momiji came out of the barn on a big black horse & leading another horse, a brown & white one with shifting eyes. It must be in sensory overload with all these zombies around.

"Come on! We don't have much time!" Botan shouted.

"Can you get up on the horse by yourself?" I asked Sounga.

"Of course I can get up on a damn horse! I may be old but I was not born yest-"

"Awesome" I muttered & took off to fend off the approaching zombies while she got on.

The zombies came at me with more force, actually putting forth some effort in trying to bite me. These must not have eaten in a while. Several zombies actually tried sneaking up on me while I was occupied with killing another zombie & that made me a little nervous. They'd keep trying & trying until they got what they wanted; I was vaguely surprised they weren't going for the twins, Sounga or the horses. Not yet anyway but I saw a couple of them had them in their sights.

I made a noise of annoyance when I saw Sounga was still trying to get up on the horse & rolled my eyes. For an old woman who liked to talk shit I would've expected her to at least have the horse straddled already. "It'd be nce if you could, oh I don't know, hurry it up!" I shouted.

She glared at me, placing her fists on her wide hips. "Boy don't you get crass with me, you're never too old for someone to brown that hide of yours! Back in my day my mom would have-"

I was getting ready to cut her off with a smart alec remark when I noticed something in the corner of my eye. I turned my head to look at it full on & my eyes widened considerably, my breathing hitching as my heart begin to race. A zombie that had to at least be seven feet tall was lumbering towards me, one eyeball gorged out of its head & the other hanging by a bloody thread of flesh. Its lower jaw was missing, the tongue hanging down like a dog's would & multiple gunshot wounds to its torso. My eyes widened even further at the peice of its head that was missing. This was not a zombie I wanted to fuck with, it was definitely time to go.

"Up you go" I muttered & hefted Sounga onto the horse in a rush, who immediately began to talk my ear off with another lecture. I grabbed the reins of the horse Boton & Momiji were on & scooped Musou up into my lap then took off, leaving the monster zombie & his little minions behind.

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><p><strong>I'm actually not very fond of the way I ended this chapter but I had to end it here because 1) I'd reached my word count goal &amp; 2) Because it's always easier starting out the chapter from a cliffhanger =]. Now that I'm very close to finishing this story I'll be updating a lot sooner (only two more chapters left!) simply because you guys deserve it for sticking it out with me through this difficult story =]<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**Good news: I've finished writing for this story so I'll be updating every three days! Bad news: My car is acting up & I can't go to Subway until next Thursday when I take the car to the shop =/ But ANYwho I did not mean to make Sesshomaru seem like such a pussy nor did I intend for Naraku to just get slapped around like a bitch lol. I'll make it up to you guys in this chapter because some of the things y'all said about my hubby (Sesshomaru) kind of hurt my feelings xD (not really; I appreciated the feedback because it let me know that you guys must've liked it enough to continue reading =])**

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><p>I guess I shouldn't have said "left those zombie minions behind". I'd never seen so many zombies all in one place; I was actually petrified with fear. Kami knows I wanted to be strong for the women; it was the very least I could do after Takeda sacrificed his life in order for me to get away with them safely. But I couldn't get my heart rate to slow down, the lump in my throat to go away nor could I even try to hide the way my eyes flickered side to side in fear, wide &amp; searching for a way out like a wild trapped animal. I grabbed the reins of the horse Sounga &amp; I were on with one hand &amp; the reins of the horse Momiji &amp; Botan were on with the other. Botan was weeping &amp; clinging tightly to her twin, her hand pressed to her mouth so hard her knuckles were white.<p>

Considering we were going in the same direction as this...herd of zombies we were really going too fast for them to grab onto us though a few tried since they heard us coming. I tried my best to avoid them since it wasn't like we could just run into them or swing our legs over to the other side of the horse to avoid their groping rotting hands.

Sounga muttered in a continuous line that sounded like a prayer or chanting, gripping me around the waist so hard I could barely breathe (this old woman had some surprising strength). I hoped she was praying. When these horses get tired & we were still in the middle of this herd it would take a miracle for even one of us to get out of here alive.

We could've been riding for hours upon hours. Time slowed down, passing by in quick milliseconds when I thought for sure a zombie was getting ready to grab my leg & pull me off or snatch one of the women & take them down. My groin was begining to hurt from the riding (I'd never riden a horse before) but I was still too afraid to try & find a more comfortable position. A couple of times the horses would whinny in fear, skittering away from the zombie's hands & nearly colliding into each other. Momiji usually managed to get hers under control by patting the side of its strong neck & whispering softly in its ear. I had no experience with horses; I just let mine run wild. Musou had relaxed a little in my lap. He still occasionally barked or snarled at a passing zombie but thankfully didn't try to shift around too much (I honestly don't know how he managed to dig his claws into my lap & not fall off).

I cringed when I saw how low the sun was now. Where the hell were we going to find shelter for the night? By now the horses were still running on pure fear but they were slowing down, panting & heaving, their heads hanging low as they pushed themselves. Anxiety rose up from the pit of my stomach & threaten to choke me & rob me of my oxygen; we needed to do something before the horses collasped. There were no trees, no shelters, not even a large hill to climb up. It was just a vast plain though I think I saw something huge & black up ahead. It was too hazy to tell what it was from this distance even with my keen eyes but I was almost positive it was a small mountain or something.

Botan screamed & I whipped my head around to find her holding her arm & all the wind was knocked out of me: her arm was bleeding. A lot. & the zombies began to smell it one by one.

_'Oh Kami...!'_

"Kami, keep us safe!" Sounga cried, pressing her palm to her mouth.

My heart stuttered & sped up even more. This was not good, this was not good, this was not good at all. The zombies began to sprint after us & the ones in front of us began to turn slowly, rotted, bloody teeth bared as they began running toward us. To make it worse the horses had slowed down even more, the situation looking so hopeless now they didn't see much of a point in pushing themselves to survive.

"Come on, Ink! Come _on_!" Momiji shouted at her horse, rocking back & forth to get the stallion to go faster.

Botan screamed as a zombie that had run up behind them got a donkey kick to the face by Ink & went flying.

I squeezed my eyes shut. We weren't going to make it. Even with the horses down, the zombies would most likely still come after us, considering two horses wasn't going to feed all of the probably thousands of wandering undead in this area. We were going to die...& I'd never see if my sister made it out ok...or...or take my relationship with Sesshomaru further...

My eyes stung at that thought. It was fun while it lasted...I hope he made it ok...

I felt a tug on the reins from Ink & was stunned when the stallion went down with a panicked whinny, its eyes rolling in terror. Botan & Momiji screamed for their horse but somehow Sounga grabbed a hold of both & sat one of the twins behind her & the other in front, trying her best to soothe them.

"Ink! Ink, _no!" _Momiji shrieked. My heart ached for her as she weeped openly, watching her beloved animal being torn apart alive.

Botan was still crying but it seemed like she was in a dream like state, her eyes glazed over. I began to worry about just how exactly she got that wound on her arm. I looked over my shoulder at her quickly, trying to keep my mind off of how my horse had begun to slow down even more. "Momiji how did Botan get that wound?"

"What?"

"How did she get that wound?"

Momiji sputtered for a moment, still in shock about Ink being taken down. "What the hell, I don't _know_! Some zombie bit her or something, I was leading Ink, remember?"

Bringing the stallion's name up made her burst out into fresh tears & Sounga patted her back gently, cooing in her ear.

If Botan had been bitten...how long would it take for her to become one of _them?_ How long would it be before she tried to gnaw on her sister's arm or her grandmother's leg or tear into my jugular?

"Are you sure she's been bitten?" I asked.

"Please...don't stress her out anymore than she already is" Sounga pleaded in a soft voice.

I pressed my lips into a thin line of irritation & anxiety. I guess it didn't matter. With the way we were now going on this horse, burdening it with all of our weight & it was already tired, we were going to die anyway.

A sudden wind kicked up & I had to cover my eyes with my arms as it stirred up a thick blanket of sand into a little tornado. I heard the girls screaming & Sounga praying louder but I couldn't open my eyes to check on them. Sand beat against my skin so hard it began to sting & I cringed as some went up my nose, into my mouth & even in my eyes even though they were closed.

"Put your heads down!" I shouted & immediately began hacking sand out from my throat. Where the hell did this sandstorm come from? It happened so suddenly I didn't even see it com-

I stilled as I heard the sound of flesh being cut into harshly. It came from beside me, behind us, in front of me...I jumped when I heard it come from right beside my leg. What the hell was going on? The women must have heard it as well because they quieted, gasping & jumping when the sounds came a bit too close for comfort. Once a partcularly close call caused blood to splatter across the horse's side & onto our legs. That gave our ride a bit of a burst of energy & it took off again (I was mildly surprised it didn't rear up but I guess that's kind of hard to do when you're running at top speed). Someone wrapped their arms tightly around my middle & Musou dug his claws into my thighs painfully. Even though the horse was speeding along (blindly, might I add) the awful sound of flesh being hacked & sliced kept up with us. I caught a shadow here & there but because of the sand all in my eyes I wasn't sure if it was just the sand or not. I didn't know whether to be relieved someone or something was getting rid of the zombies or afraid that we were in the way.

The horse under us slowed drastically & finally buckled to the ground, so exhausted that its legs were shaking. The women & Musou got up but I realized my leg was stuck under the horse & I couldn't move.

"Hey! C'mon!" Momiji shouted at me.

"I can't get up! Just...go!" I yelled at them, waving my hand.

"We can't just leave him!" Botan hollered.

"We don't have time to waste!" Sounga said, grabbing both girls by their arms & lugging them away.

"Wait! We have to help him!" Botan cried but like I said Sounga was a strong old woman.

The sand obscured them almost immediately though I could hear them shouting & screaming in surprise. I struggled to wiggle out from under the exhausted horse, grunting & straining & pulling myself forward. Musou tried helping by pulling me by my shirt but that wasn't really doing any good. I was begining to lose feeling in my leg now & that made me try even harder. I didn't want to have my leg cut off from lack of circulation!

I realized two things almost immediately: no zombies had attacked us yet & I couldn't hear the women anymore. I wasn't sure if it was because the zombies had gotten to them already or...well, was there any other option at this point? There wasn't anywhere for them to hide so I know they weren't exactly safe at the moment. I began worrying about them more than myself. Takeda had sacrificed his life for those women only for me to let them get killed anyway all because I was stuck under this stupid horse. I got a random burst of energy but still couldn't budge no matter how I struggled. Musou began barking madly & I felt hope slipping through my fingers like water in an open hand. So this was it then. I was going to be torn apart by zombies or whoever was killing the zombies, trapped under a horse in the middle of a sandstorm. How aweso-

"Sir, we're going to get this horse off of you. Don't worry"

A shadow melted into something more tangible, a figured clad in all black from head to toe. A black turban was wrapped around the head & the only thing not wrapped where the eyes. Instead the person had goggles on. Even the hands were covered in thick black leather gloves.

_'What the hell was this guy, a desert ninja?'_

He crouched down beside me & wedged his fingers under the horses's side then grunted as he slowly stood, lifting the horses body. The horse stayed limp, not even having the strength to look around though it slowly blinked at the ground. I crawled out of harm's way, vaguely noticed there was still a shadow darting around & there was still the sound of flesh being cut into. The black clad figure slowly eased the horse back down to the ground with relative ease & petted it, cooing to it. He must be a demon; no way in hell a human could've lifted a horse then gently put it right back down.

He turned to me. "Can you walk?"

I nodded, still not being able to see clearly, thanks to the sandstorm still kicking. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

The guy took something out of a little satchel on his back I hadn't noticed. "Here, wrap this around your mouth. It'll keep the sand out of your lungs & enable you to breathe easier"

This guy could very well be lying to me & there could be poison on this cloth but what the hell? As long as I didn't have to suffer. I wrapped the cloth around my face, leaving my eyes visible & he helped me to my feet, patting my back.

"Where are the girls?" I asked.

"What?"

I shook my head & waved him off. Too much noise & my voice was too muffled to even bother repeating myself.

The man shrugged & took a curved horn out of his satchel then held it up to the place where his mouth lay behind his wraps & blew. The sound was low but loud, causing my bones to vibrate in a strange way. The shadows paused then all flew in one direction & he led me in that very same direction. Soon enough a military Hummer came into view & we got in. There was already a driver & two other riders when we got in. One of the riders clapped me on the shoulder gently, asking if I was ok to which I nodded. I looked around for the girls but my eyes were itchy & dry from the sand, not to mention it was really dark.

_'Kami, let them be safe...please...'_

...

...

...

...

..

.

After a day of boring travel we ended up at a gated city that was surrounded by guards with machine guns held at the ready. The guards stopped us & asked all of us to step out before searching the car then checking us. I'd gotten some scrapes & small cuts but they didn't seem to be worried about it after they poured some light blue solution on it & it just ran down my arm. They seemed to watch it closely, tensely & whatever they were looking for wasn't there so they relaxed & waved me in.

Since the guys I'd travelled with were all dressed the same I didn't know if the guy who clapped me on the shoulder was the guy who saved me or not but what he said almost made me buckle to my knees. "Welcome to Aramitama City, man"

I had arrived. Was I finally safe? Would I have to run anymore? I wanted to run & shout in joy & lie down & enjoy not having to fight for my life anymore at the same time. How did one act when they finally made it to their destination...but had no one to share the joy with?

This city looked cleaner than the last one we were in & the sky scrapers were taller, not to mention the city was a lot bigger. There were crowds of people walking down the wide street talking to vendors & looking at their sales, laughing & smiling. They were all wearing black clothes but some were wearing pants, others were wearing denim while others were wearing ankle length skirts. Even though it kind of looked like a funeral was taking place the looks on their faces said otherwise. These people were...happy? Were they happy because they were confident in their security from the zombies outside the gate?

The guys I'd rode here with in the Hummer shook hands with me & each other before going their seperate ways, most heading off down the street with the vendors on it. I found it strange that they didn't bother to unwrap their faces or even take off their goggles. I thought that had been to protect them from the sandstorm but we'd left that behind long ago. It reminded me that I still had the cloth the guy who saved me gave me wrapped around my neck like a scarf. I guess they didn't mind me keeping it so I simply shrugged it off.

I wandered down the street leisurely with Musou trailing beside me, nodding to the vendors who looked at me with open curiosity but they were smiling & the city folks who grinned at me. I guess not having to worry about your safety made people relax & more polite. I saw a couple of things that I liked & some that Kagura or even Sesshomaru might like but I didn't have any mon-...

I reached deep into my pockets & found the money I had taken out of the cash register at the gas station we were at. Do they still accept this as currency? Would they question where I got it from then snitch to the guards if they found out I'd stolen it? I guess the only way to find out was to buy something & see.

I approached one of the vendors & fingered a black leather jacket with a high collar. "Hello, how much is this?"

The vendor looked up, smiled at me then looked down at the jacket. "It goes for sixty but I'll sell it to you for forty five since you're new"

Sixty & forty five _what_? I nodded. "Alright" I said & took the yen out of my pocket.

"Oh sir, no, no, we don't accept yen anymore. You have to go to The Administrator's Office & find the Money Bank" she said politely.

I nodded. "Thanks"

She pointed me in the right direction & I bobbed & weaved through the crowd, keeping my eyes peeled for...anyone familiar. Past the street where the vendors were was like a city. There were restaurants, convienant stores (they were actually gas stations but the pumps had been pulled up out of the ground some time ago), grocery stores & even a pet shop. I made a note to visit them all after I traded my money & got that jacket; it was chilly & I was begining to get the sniffles.

Beyond the city part of the...well, city, were the living quarters & beyond that was the business district. The living quarters mostly looked like apartments & hotel buildings. They were nice since they were fairly new & I made another note to maybe check out a room or two once I got finished with everything. The Administrator's Office was a tall smokey grey steel building, one of the tallest buildings in the city. It had a canopy above the entrance with Administrator's Office in fancy gold letters on it.

"Stay" I commanded Musou & he sat.

I walked in & was hit with a blast of warm air that practically tasted like coffee. I sighed deeply & closed my eyes, relaxed already. When was the last time I smelled coffee? When was the last time I even _had _coffee?

"Excuse me, sir?"

I opened my eyes to find a young cleanly dressed business woman looking at me expectantly. "Yeah uh...I just want to trade in this yen for some current money" I muttered, embarassed about being caught like that.

"I can help you out right over here by my desk"

She went behind a large mohogany desk & sat, waking her computer. "Alright, well, my name is Mayu & you said you want to trade in your currency?"

I sat then nodded. "Yes"

"& may I have your name & social security number?"

I frowned. "Why do you need my social security number during a zombie apocalypse?"

She smiled patiently. "We initially started asking for it to give people a sense of normalicy. They expected us to ask for it & it made them forget about the troubles outside the gate"

"Ok well I don't need a sense of normalicy. Been through too much for that load of bull"

She nodded & typed something on her computer. "I understand, sir. Do you have anything of value worth trading in such as jewelry, stock, cattle or the like?"

"I have uh...yen"

Mayu raised an eyebrow at me. "Excuse me?"

"Yen. You know...the money we used to used back before the outbreak...?"

She made a face of recognition. "Oh, yes, I'm sorry sir it's just been so long since someone has come in here with yen. We haven't used it here since my great grandfather was still alive"

I felt a tinge of nostalgia at hearing that; feels like we just stopped using yen a few weeks ago. I refused to believe I was getting old though.

"Just a moment, sir, I must speak to my supervisor about this" Mayu said & stood.

I pulled the yen out of my pocket & set it on the desktop slowly. What if I couldn't trade this in for currency? How would I survive in this city? I guess I could always find a job but I'm sure they were even harder to come by nowadays, especially since the outbreak. Maybe if I could find someone I knew that could help me out...but I don't want to be a financial burden on anyone, I'm a grown ass man! That's a blow to my pride & dignity as a hunter! No man should ever mooch off of anyone, especially people that they kne-

"Uh, sir?"

I looked up as I felt a presence beside me. A man stood looking at me with a cautious though polite facial expression, his hands held behind his back. His mint green hair was tied back in a neat low ponytail & the two red streaks coming down his forehead from his hairline stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin.

"Hello, sir, my name is Menomaru & I'm the supervisor here. I wanted to inquire about where you got this yen?"

I resisted the urge to grit my teeth. I didn't like lying but what if they threw me out of the city for stealing? I guess I didn't have a choice. It wasn't like that store had been regularly occupied anyway so I didn't see the harm in it. "I've had it all this time in my wallet. It's the only form of trade that I have"

Menomaru nodded & pulled up a chair, leaning his elbows on his knees. "You see the thing is sir no one has used yen in a very long time so you can understand just how rare it is to come by"

I nodded.

"With that being said...yen is...very valuable, beyond what you might think..."

My eyes widened. Wait, was he telling me...

"This little pile of yen is worth ten thousand a bill"

I could only blink & swallow. I couldn't even move. Here, I was just expecting an equivalent of five hundred yen & this guy was telling me they owed me...

I glanced down at the thin pile of yen on the desk. I'd brought twenty bills...

I began hyperventilating. This was way too good to be true. I'm dreaming right? I had to be! I was still asleep in the car with Kagura in the passenger seat, Inuyasha & Sesshomaru in the back-no! I was back in my apartment with Tsubaki & I was asleep on the couch-. I pinched myself hard & grimaced. Oh my God...I wasn't dreaming...

"All these bills are worth over a million" Menomaru said with a smirk at my expression.

I stared at him for a moment before I slowly raised my hand to cover my mouth. I...was a millionaire...?

Menomaru chuckled. "I take that to mean you would like to trade this in for the current currency, sir?"

I nodded slowly, unable to speak. If I spoke, I'd scream & that would make me look bad.

Menomaru & Mayu worked together entering the amount into the computer & then counting out the money. I signed a paper saying that I was satisfied with this transaction & then Mayu counted the money out to me, right into the palm of my hand.

When she was through, she looked up at me & smiled. "I hope you have a great day, sir"

I nodded & stood slowly, still in a daze. How the hell did my life go from good, to bad, to worse, to oh shit what the hell, to surviving day by day then to being a millionaire in the most protected city in probably the whole country? I still felt like this was a dream or something but damn it, I did not want to wake up! But honestly, how was I supposed to be happy with all of this money with no one to spend it on? I was alone in this city; I'd have to start from scratch all over again & I wasn't really looking forward to that. Would I ever be happy & content? What was I going to do with all this money?

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_Six months later_

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I slowly blew the smoke from my nostrils, my eyes fluttering closed. Talk about rest & relaxation. Kami knew I liked my job as manager down at the hookah bar but it was nice to get away for a while, even it was just on the other side of the city. The fake sun that shined down from the cieling of the hotel I was staying in felt real & the surround sound system was so nice. The waves that emitted from the speakers made me feel like I was actually on the beach & not sitting in a building.

I reached over & lifted my martini glass, letting it rest on my bottom lip. This was the life, most definitely. I had an easy job that paid very nicely, I had more vacation time than I could ever ask for, I had all the material things any man, woman or child could ever want...but I was still alone. I got hit on often at the bar, by men & women alike, but they just didn't interest me like Sesshomaru or even Tsubaki did. What made it even worse was that I couldn't remember what either of the two looked like. I remembered their hair color, the way their skin felt on mine, certain things they'd say or a particular way their body language let me know they were upset but I didn't remember eye color, their smile, the way they tasted or even the sound of their voice...& that worried me.

"Another drink, sir?"

"Long Island Iced Tea, please" I muttered & the waitress scampered off.

I was bored with life. I actually craved being outside the gate now. I missed fighting for my life because I always had something to anticipate. Now...I woke up...I showered...got my coffee...work...home...sleep & then repeat. Nothing excited me anymore & I was getting to the point where I was getting a little desperate for a companion at night.

The waitress returned with my drink & I downed it fairly quickly. It was time to go back to my hotel room. The alcohol had me feeling a bit tipsy & that bed was sounding really nice right about now. I stood slowly after I finished, left a thirty dollar (I found out the world only had U.S. dollars now) tip & stumbled to the elevators & to my luxury suit. I couldn't really see which way was the correct way to insert my card & it was several times before I growled at it.

"Hey you need some help-oh! Hey!"

I frowned & looked up, taken by surprise by the loud, feminine voice. "What...?"

The figured shifted, their hands on their hips. "I know it hasn't been _that _long!"

I squinted hard. I knew that voice...it was familiar...wait..."Momiji?"

She grinned & nodded & slowly I was able to to focus on the small details in her face. She'd let her hair grow out & her eyebrows were finely arched, giving her an older appearance. "How have you been?"

"Uh...I've been...been pretty good. How are you? & Sounga & Botan?"

Her face fell & she looked at her feet. "Botan had been bitten so they shot her on the spot. Grannie died a few months ago from a heart attack"

I made a "tsk"ing noise with my tongue & set a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Momiji"

She nodded, sniffling. "It's ok. At least they don't have to suffer. I see you've been taking care of yourself"

I let my hand fall back to my side. "Yeah. Got some unexpected money & now I'm...living the dream"

"You don't sound very happy about that"

"Well what they say is true: money doesn't buy you happiness. What are you doing here, by the way?"

Momiji shrugged one shoulder & grabbed the straps of her bag on her back. "I snuck in to find a room to sleep in for the night. I don't want to go back to the house me & Grannie shared..."

"You can sleep in my room" I said off handedly, unlocking my door room.

"You sure it's ok?"

"Of course I'm sure. I paid for the room"

She grinned. "Thanks"

We walked in & I closed the door, grinning when she exclaimed how beautiful the room was, how amazing the view was, how huge the tub was, & on & on. She squealed & hugged Musou, who I was sure had been sleeping on the bed (when I specifically told him not to on several occassions) while I had been away. He loved the attention, his tail wagging happily. I didn't really take pride in having the best anymore but now I felt a twinge of that boastfulness. It was nice having someone who wasn't a stuck up businessperson or politian as a companion.

Momiji flopped down onto the couch beside Musou, sighing happily. "This is awesome. How'd you get into a place like this? It's probably like a thousand dollars a night!"

"Two thousand..." I coughed.

"Huh?"

"N-nothing, nothing. So...where were you heading off to?" I asked, sitting across from her.

"Honestly, I don't know. I got a tip from this guy I met that I might be able to find an unlocked room to sleep in for the night"

"Guy you met? Momiji you have to be careful who you talk to"

She frowned. "Hold up, I'm seventeen, I'm practically grown! Besides I met him when we got here. We all entered the city together"

"He still could be some pervert or murderer or-"

"Geez, what are you, my father? I said I met & talked with him, not slept with him & promised him my first child!"

I hadn't even realized big brother mode had been activated. I made calming motions with my hands. "Alright, fine, calm down. So where is the guy now?"

Momiji shrugged one shoulder, looking down at Musou & playing with his ears, causing him to close his eyes in ecstacy. "I don't know. He was with the ninja unit that goes out beyond the gates to find something useful"

"Something useful? Wait, ninja unit?"

Could the ninja unit be the guys who saved us?

"Something useful or even someone in need. Apparently, lots of people travel great distances to get here & that includes the zombies so the ninja unit goes out everyday to see if they find anyone in need"

& here I thought most people didn't give a damn about the well being of others anymore. "So when you three got off the horse & I told you to leave...?"

"We were picked up in a truck with the ninja unit & brought back here" she finished.

I nodded slowly in understanding. "So why didn't you stay with the guy you met instead of wandering off on your own?"

She shrugged her shoulder again. "The house was small & he already had his younger brother with him. It would've been nice to stay; they were really hot. But I didn't want to be a burden"

I grit my teeth as if that would stop my train of thought. No, no, no I would not get my hopes up...I know it sounds familiar but I would not put myself through that. "How about you just stay here with me until we can get you better living arrangements?"

Momiji made a face. "I barely know you! I don't even know your name!"

I started, blinking. Well damn. Even Musou looked at me like he was disappointed in my lack of manners. "I'm sorry, I'm Naraku"

She looked me up & down, that look still in place like she'd just heard me fart then she slowly nodded. "Alright. That'll work"

We sat in awkward silence then I realized the backpack was the only thing left in her possession. "Umm...do you have clothes in that bag?"

"A few shirts & a pair of jeans"

"I'll let you borrow a shirt for bed tonight. You're welcome to the toothbrush & all of that in the bathroom"

"Thanks" she said & walked off to the bathroom.

I rubbed my forehead & sighed, wishing I could get these nagging thoughts out of my head. She couldn't possibly have been talking about Inuyasha & Sesshomaru, right? I mean...it was stupid of me to believe that she was in the first place but I couldn't deny that I was longing for her to have been refering to at least one of them. Kami knows I miss even having the brat around. But did I want to risk being disappointed by asking her if she knew the guys I was looking for?

Several hours later, we took our dinner, two meat lovers cheese stuffed pizzas & twenty hot wings, to the balcony & ate in mostly silence. I saw Momiji sneak Musou a few wings but after two or three he just snorted & walked away. I could tell she wasn't a huge fan of how hot the wings were but I loved it; it was so hot it left my fingers red just from holding it (no it wasn't the sauce cause I'd licked it off...well, maybe my fingers were red from licking it so hard? Wow that sounded perverted...). Momiji fanned her mouth & gulped from her glass of soda & I just shook my head, grinning. Ametuer.

"Oh my God how do you eat those wings?" she grumbled, rubbing an ice cube over her top lip.

I licked the sauce off my thumb. "By picking it up & biting into it like a boss"

"Hardy har har"

I chuckled at her sarcastic tone & put my plate on the glass table in front of me. "Momiji let me ask you some questions about the guy you said you met as you were entering the gates..."

She rolled her eyes. "No he didn't ask to touch me in my no-no places or offer me candy in his van"

"They're serious questions!"

She sighed. "Alright"

"Do you know his name?"

She looked down & seemed to be thinking about it before she shook her head. "Now that you bring it up I didn't ask & he didn't tell me"

"Can you...describe him for me?"

"Um...well, he had long, silver hair...golden eyes...-"

My palms began to sweat. She was talking about one of them! How could she _not_?

"A pot belly & lots of acne on his face"

I could feel my face fall & cold fingers of extreme disappointment gripped my throat. No way that was either of the dog demon brothers. They had too much pride to let themselves get a pot belly, much less have their flawless skin be overtaken by acne. "& he had a brother, huh?"

"Yeah. Some guy with an annoying voice & liked to stick his hands in his pants all the time"

I felt like I had been so close to finding someone who knew Sesshomaru & to have the hope snatched away from me so rudely-

Momiji laughed. "I'm just playing with ya, man. The guy was so fine. The older one, I mean. His brother was pretty cute but not my type. I still don't know either of their names but the older guy was so sexy, I swear I would bear his children if he ever asked me to"

I raised an eyebrow. This little bitch didn't know who she was fucking with, playing with my emotions like that! "So describe him"

"He had long silver hair, golden eyes, stripes on his face, eyelids & wrist & this bangin' body-"

"How do you know he had a banging body?" I asked, surprised I felt a little jealous.

"Well when I ran into him most of what was left of his shirt was gone. Oh & he had these hip piercings-"

So she was refering to Sesshomaru. I wanted to be excited, I really did, but I was more annoyed that this little girl had seen _my _man's body. She was just a little runt, she wouldn't even know how to handle Sesshomaru!

"& ooh, he had such a sexy voice. I swear I got so wet the first time he spok-"

"Hey! Hey! I don't want to hear all that! Jesus, you're just a kid!"

Momiji glared at me. "I'm seventeen! I'm a grown ass woman!"

"He's old enough to be your great great grandfather's great great great grandfather!"

"I didn't say I wanted to suck his dick & have him jizz in my eye, I was just commenting on how damn attractive he was!"

"My God, you have a dirty mouth!" I exclaimed, half covering my mouth in horror. Where did these kids these days learn this shit? She was too young to be talking about all that! Made me feel all dirty...ugh.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. & why are you so interested in that guy anyway? He's your lover or something?"

I sobered up & looked down at my lap. I was tempted to tell her not to tell anyone but no one knew me here so what would it matter. It was fine admitting it to myself that I loved another man & I was even ok with his brother knowing...but perfect strangers finding out? Would they judge me & make life unnecessarily hard for me? For us?

She gasped. "Oh my God, you're gay?"

I sighed. "Yeah"

"Oh my God, that means he's gay too?"

I nodded, looking up at her.

She threw her hands in the air & made a sound of annoyance. "It's always, _always _the nice looking ones that were gay or married! Ugh, just my luck!"

I grinned despite myself. Now how many times had I heard that in my lifetime? I never would've thought that might have been directed at me. "So...do you know where Sesshomaru is?"

"Who?"

"Sesshomaru, the guy"

"Oh that's his name...? Ooh, yummy...killing perfec-"

"Focus, Momiji!"

"Damn, a girl can't dream? Geez. Whelp, we can always go back to the house he was in when I left. If he's not there then I have no idea"

I nodded. "We'll look for him tomorrow"

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The next morning I woke Momiji up & rushed her into the shower while I ordered a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon & pancakes & made nice, strong coffee. I felt so wired, so hyped up that I was constantly moving: tapping out a beat with my fingers on the table, bouncing my knee, rubbing my arms restlessly & popping my knuckles. Musou walked in the kitchen, still half asleep, saw me fidgeting & twitching & walked right back out, not having the patience to deal with my jitteriness. I was so excited but at the same time I was nervous. What if Sesshomaru left because he didn't know how to tell me that he wasn't interested? That he was just playing around & the joke went a bit too far? What if he really honestly wanted to be away from me for whatever reason & wouldn't be happy with seeing me again?

"Geez dude, we're going to see a guy you have a crush on, not the leader of a terrorist group" Momiji grumbled as she stumbled into the expansive kitchen & plopped down at the table to start eating her breakfast.

"It's not just a crush! It's...it's something more..." I trailed off. Something more? How much more? Had we ever put an exact label on that?

"Yeah, whatever"

I waited impatiently while the girl finished her breakfast, blowing out a frustrated breath when she'd stop chewing & doze off, her head slowly falling forward until I nudged her arm & she'd wake with a start, glared at me & continue eating. Why did she have to take so long to eat? For all we know Sesshomaru could be in the process of moving or something & we'd miss him by mere minutes! I had a feeling that's exactly what was going to happen if this little runt didn't hurry the hell up!

_Finally _she set her fork down & stood. "Come on you whipped puppy, let's go get your man before you break the table or worse, wear a hole into the floor"

I poked my head into the bedroom where Musou was resting & narrowed my eyes. He lifted his head from my bed then whined, getting down slowly to lay in his own bed, looking at me with those big puppy eyes.

_'Any other day, that might have worked but I have too much on my mind'_

"See ya, boy" I said with a wave.

Momiji led me down the hall to the elevators, out the hotel & back towards the city part of Aramitama City. At first I thought she wasn't sure where she was going; I didn't see any of these shacks appropiate to live in. Most were worse than the abandoned shacks & gas stations I had found along the road.

"Sure we're not lost?" I asked her in a low voice.

"Positive" she affirmed & marched towards a leaning grey shack, "He should be right in here"

I felt like dramatic music should've been playing while she knocked on the door & I could hear slow footsteps approaching. Birds should've stopped tweeting & Enya should've been harmonizing in the background or something but the door was opened unceremoniously, revealing a very tired, very dirty looking hanyou.

His wild black eyebrows rose. "Momiji? Thought you said you weren't coming back?"

She jerked her chin in my direction. "Brought your brother a friend"

When our eyes connected I froze, feeling like a deer in headlights. The look in his eyes first held curiosity then surprise then his face just went blank.

"Oh...hey, Naraku"

I inclined my head, too surprised with his monotone attitude to actually respond. I noticed Momiji frowning in concern at my facial expression.

The half breed looked down at the girl. "Is that all Momiji or would you like to come in?"

Momiji shook her head slowly, taking a step back. "N-...no thanks...sorry to bother you"

He forced a smile & nodded. "No bother here. You're welcome here whenever you want"

Our eyes connected once more as he closed the door, golden eyes glowing with something like...rage. I turned & sped walked away, my face burning with embarassment. What the hell was that look for? It's like he was cursing me out with a simple look, right there in front of Momiji! What the hell did he have against me? Was he still angry that he'd caught me & Sesshomaru? Was it really that serious enough to get angry at someone for when they left the person they liked to take care of you?

"Naraku!"

I stopped in my tracks. That voice...!

Momiji stopped too & turned around. "Hi!" she said cutely with a little giggle. I didn't hear a response.

"Naraku...wait..."

I turned slowly & faced the only man I have ever & probably ever will love, standing in the doorway, looking about as tired, as dirty & as wild as his brother...but yet...he was still so beautiful. I could only blink & swallow.

He took a step towards me, his eyes firing off questions his mouth couldn't form. "N-Naraku...don't...don't go"

"I...have been looking...everywhere for you" I whispered, my voice husky.

He swallowed, stopping & clenching his hands into fists. "I know..."

"I was...so damn..._worried _about you..."

Sesshomaru nodded, looking down at his feet almost shamefully. "I know...but I panicked when Yasha caught us-"

"You have..." I began walking toward him, my mouth bunching angrily, "_No _idea the shit I went through when you _left _me at that sunhouse!"

He could only swallow again & nod, his eyes pleading with me.

Emotion was showing in my voice now as I began walking faster. "I risked my life on _several _occassions just to find your ass! I risked it all!"

"I'm s...I'm sorry" he whispered.

"You're sorry?" I asked, pausing in steps, tilting my head, "You're..._sorry_? What are you sorry for? For leaving me? For potientially getting me killed? For leaving me pretty much defenseless? For tearing my heart to _shreds_, Sesshomaru?"

He flinched almost invisibly with every accusation, his head shaking slowly like he wanted to deny it but no words came out of his mouth.

I chuckled humorlessly as I approached him, crossing my arms. "You're sorry? After all these months & you're just sorry?"

He nodded, tears in his eyes. The great Sesshomaru was crying now? & what for? He wasn't the one who got fucking left behind & had to basically live like a fucking caveman! But he was the most beautiful creature I think I've laid eyes on, especially in such a vulnerable state. I don't know why he did what he did or what he'd been through after all this time but right now I just wanted to wrap my arms around him & never let him go.

"I...I'm sorry" he whispered again

Without meaning to my hand whipped out & the flat of my palm struck across his right cheek, leaving an angry red mark & both of us in surprise.

"Hey!" Momiji objected but we ignored her.

"What the fuck makes you think 'I'm sorry' will be enough to cover the shit I went through just to get here?" I growled.

When he could only shake his head, lips parted, I slapped him again.

"I didn't even know which direction this fucking city was in!" I hollered, feeling my throat begin to close up, "You _left _me like the fucking pussy you are because Inuyasha is more important than me! You're a _coward!"_

I slapped him three more times, my eyes burning with pent up rage & he took every hit without a sound, his skin begining to turn purple from the abuse. Momiji's shouts for me to stop sounded so far away, it was easy to overlook. Why was I hitting this guy that I claimed I liked so damn much that I just might love him? I don't know. But it felt...good. Not in a 'yeah I'm going to do this more often so we can get a movie on Lifetime' or anything. It just felt good to release this anger.

I stopped finally, panting & my face wet with angry tears. Sesshomaru slowly moved his hair out of his face, right cheek swollen & blueish purple from my hits. I immediately began to feel bad but refused to comfort him. No, this was his fault & I wasn't going to coddle him.

"You have no fucking idea how much it hurt me when you took off" I said quietly, my voice husky.

He took a deep breath, barely able to hold back a sob as a fat tear rolled down his cheek. "I'm so...so sorry, Naraku" he whispered.

That broke me. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck & yanked him to me, crushing our mouths together. The contact made us both moan, out of pain & pleasure of not tasting the other after so long. He was still as delightful to my tastebuds as a black cherry in season even though he was about as dirty as a homeless person. I shoved my tongue in his mouth & tasted every nook & cranny. I couldn't get close enough to him. We clung to each other like our life depended on it, his claws clenching my shirt & mine tangled in his hair.

"Don't you ever pull some shit like that again, do you understand?" I growled, resting my forehead against his.

He gulped down air greedily & nodded, his eyes still closed. "Ok...I won't...I won't, I promise"


	23. Epiloge

**Well my loves...this is the end of the road for this story (or is it? O.o *dun dun duuuuun!*). I consider this the epiloge but I just might write an epiloge part 2. We'll see how everything goes. I want to thank everyone for sticking it out with me & being patient with my sporatic updating! You guys are awesome! The reviews meant a lot to me & helped me push through the writer's blocks so I want to thank everyone who did review. Lemme know what you guys would like to see in the epiloge part 2! =]**

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><p>I have never seen a zombie movie that had a definite ending. They would always leave room for a sequel or at least leave you thinking or wondering. Sometimes they'd end it with the whole cast getting killed off somehow. So, based off of that evidence, maybe this story hadn't come to a definite ending. Maybe there was going to be another horde that was going to send us off running. Maybe something would go wrong with the gate &amp; we'd have no choice to move on. But after a whole year of relative peace, well...let's just say I'd gotten pretty comfortable here in this city.<p>

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I cleared my throat as I swiped my napkin across my mouth. "What's the word at work, Momiji? I heard some interesting rumors buzzing around"

The now eighteen year old (but swear she's going on 21) young lady shrugged her shoulder. "I told everyone I only made out with that girl because I was drunk so whatever else you heard really was a rumor"

I raised an eyebrow at her then frowned at Inuyasha who smirked mischievously. "Chill, Inuyasha. & what makes you think I'm talking about you making out with some girl?"

"She kissed a girl & I like that" Inuyasha sang.

He stopped abruptly & complained at the slap that was delivered to the back of his head.

"Damn, Sessh! That was not even necessary!"

Sesshomaru only gave him a bored look, picking his forkful of scrambled eggs back up. "Oh yes it was. You know I do not like that song"

I smirked & directed my attention back at Momiji. "I had been referring to the rumor that the Ninja Unit found a bunch of survivors a few days ago & that's the reason why they haven't arrived yet"

Momiji finished chewing her sausage to answer but Inuyasha butted in before she could speak.

"Maybe they got killed"

"They radioed in yesterday saying they had a code orange, you dummy" the teen retorted, glaring at the hanyou.

"What's a code orange?" Sesshomaru asked.

She shrugged again & stood with her empty plate in her hand. "I dunno. All I know is code red means they found a bite victim so maybe orange means they found survivors but they hadn't checked to see if they had been bitten or not or something"

"Shouldn't it be yellow then, not orange?" Inuyasha grumbled.

The girl sighed loudly. "Didn't I just say I didn't know? Damn, you're so stupid!"

I sighed & sat back in my chair, my eyes wandering over to Sesshomaru who was shaking his head. This is what I mean by "relative peace". It was never actually peaceful with Momiji & Inuyasha constantly bickering like a married couple. Sesshomaru suspected that she liked him but I thought it was the other way around. Didn't girls always pick fights with guys she was interested in? I know guys didn't do that; we just joked around with her to get her to laugh.

"Alright, alright. Chill, you two" I ordered, standing & holding my hand out for Sesshomaru's plate. He handed it to me & mouthed a thank you, grinning. I nodded back & winked, grinning when he blushed. I never got tired of seeing that-

"Ugh, please wait until we leave before you start getting all lovey dovey & shit" Inuyasha groaned, holding his stomach like he felt sick.

Sesshomaru directed a glare at his younger brother & stood, sauntering around the table to stand beside me. "That shows just how immature you still are, Yasha. How is a wink so much PDA that you feel the need to even address it? Now if I did something like this-"

My eyebrows shot up as he grabbed me by the front of my shirt & pulled me down into a heated, passionate kiss, complete with tongue & moaning. Then he leaned back, smirking arrogantly.

"Then I could understand why you would make such a big fuss"

Inuyasha had his hand over his mouth & his left eye was twitching. "Oh my God, Sessh, that was just...just-"

"I think it's romantic" Momiji put in.

The half breed turned on her, frowning. "No one asked you, runt!"

"& no one asked _you _either!"

Sesshomaru & I sighed, leaving them in the kitchen as we wandered out onto the porch (once Inuyasha & Momiji started arguing it'd be a while before they stopped). I loved this porch; it was probably my proudest addition to the house that I built myself. It was large & wrapped around the house like the pictures of the plantation houses I'd seen in featured in America. I'd built it with two stories & a basement & painted it white, just like I'd wanted my house to be as a kid (all that was missing was the newest, shiniest, fastest car available). I would always come out here & daydream about seeing kids that Sesshomaru & I would have, running around the yard, yipping & playing. We'd discussed before whether we wanted our own or if we wanted to adopt & I got the sense that he wanted our own though I think the only reason why he hesitated was because he didn't want to go through labor pains. I didn't blame him; I used to cringe whenever Kagura used to watch Birth Day.

Moving the guys & Momiji in with me wasn't the easiest thing. Inuyasha & I were still very tense with each other. According to Sesshomaru, the night they left me, Inuyasha had told him he had to choose between his flesh & blood or some dude he was interested in, knowing that was going to pull on the strings of the older sibling's heart. Sesshomaru admitted that it was not a decision he was proud of & had begun to resent his younger brother for making him sacrifice his happiness. He couldn't figure out why Inuyasha made him choose in the first place; it wasn't like our relationship was putting us in danger or hindering the brothers from anything. But he had a long talk with Inuyasha once they moved in with me, telling him that whether the brat accepted us or not he was going to stay with me this time, not matter what the little snot nosed kid said. It took a while for the half breed to stop rolling his eyes or sighing in disgust when he saw us together but we were making progress now (he only rolle dhis eyes or sighed when he caught us making out).

Momiji had had a huge crush on Sesshomaru but once she saw that he wasn't kidding about being interested in another man, she let it go, claiming she was in her prime & any suitor would be lucky to have her. I was convinced that she liked Inuyasha (& maybe vise versa) but the half breed was too oblivious to see that.

Sesshomaru sighed through his nose, crossing his arms. Sometimes I still felt he thought he bit off more than he could chew when he formally came out. There were times when Inuyasha would come really close to crossing the line between respect & being rude & Sesshomaru would tense, waiting for me to snap. For the most part Inuyasha & I were civil towards each other, minus the few times he walked in on Sesshomaru & I or he'd use my hair products. It took a long time before we were able to be in the same room together without tension being so thick, one could karate chop it.

I leaned against the banister & inhaled deeply. I don't know if I could now take the time out to smell it or something changed but the air now just seemed...fresher, crisp. Just because we finally found a home didn't mean rainbows sprouted from the ground & arched over the city & all the animals came up on the porch to have tea with us but I did feel a sense of blissful happiness & utter peace now (minus the occassional bickering that usually included Inuyasha).

I raised an eyebrow as Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around my waist, resting his cheek on my chest. "You think it's legal for gays to get married here?"

I chuckled. "You're ready to get married already?"

He looked up at me, frowning. "Already? Naraku we've been dating for close to a year. Plus, I didn't say I wanted to get married now"

"But you're ready now, aren't you?"

He lowered his eyes & shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not saying I'm _not _ready, I just hadn't thought about it, I guess..."

I lifted his face with one finger, smirking. "You're lying"

He frowned. "I am not"

"I'm pretty fucking sure you've thought about it many, many times, Sesshomaru. You know I know you a little better than that"

He rolled his eyes but didn't respond.

I slowly leaned forward & kissed his cheek then his forehead then his nose before gently capturing his lips. No woman had ever made me feel quite like this guy did. He still gave me butterflies & warm feelings in my belly, even when he pissed me off. Without him, I can honestly say I would have found no reason to keep living.

Sesshomaru leaned back & searched for something in my face. "Why haven't we...you know..."

I raised an eyebrow. "No I don't know"

"Why haven't we...done it?"

A faint blush scattered across his nose & I chuckled. Trust me, there were many, many, _many _times when I wanted to have sex with him; it'd always start out with just relaxing in each other's arms, then we'd start kissing & that'd lead to my hands roaming & then he'd stop me, making up some excuse to get up & walk away. I knew he was lying because I peeped his boner straining against his pants.

"You weren't ever ready" I said quietly, running my thumb over his slightly swollen bottom lip.

"I am now..." he whispered, looking up at me through his lashes.

I leaned down & captured his lips in a passionate kiss, my hands slowly sliding down his trim body to his waist that I wrapped my arms around. He wrapped one arm around my neck, the other busy unbuttoning my shirt. I felt an underlying sense of anxiety, like any moment now someone was going to walk up behind us. Most of that came from the way I could practically feel the nervousness reeking from Sesshomaru in waves. He was more hesitant in the kiss & his fingers fumbled many times before I took it upon myself to unbutton the shirt. Once I took the shirt off it seemed like he didn't know what to do from there.

"Having second thoughts?" I murmured, dipping my head to place open mouthed kisses on his neck.

"No..." he whispered.

"But you're nervous"

He shrugged one shoulder & put his hand on my chest, not meeting my eye. "It's not that I don't want to, Naraku, because I do, I'm just...I just..."

"You're just new to this that's all" I assured him, "I'll be as slow & as gentle as I can, alright?"

He looked at me then, his golden eyes sparking & dazzling, & nodded slowly. "Alright"

I took his hand & led him quickly & quietly up to my room, shutting the door silently. At first it felt a little awkward sicne we could hear Inuyasha complaining about something & Momiji telling him to shut up; what if they heard us up here & walked in on us or something? But I put it out of my mind quickly & turned my attention to Sesshomaru who was taking off his shirt & climbing onto the bed, his legs tucked up under him. He looked so adorable & sexy at the same time with those wide, uncertain eyes & his body language hesitant. I locked the door & stalked towards him.

Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortablly. "You're not going to...make me toss your salad or anything like that are you?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"I-I just...I'm not comfortable with all of that..."

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to, sweetheart" I said in a low, husky voice crawling on the bed to kiss him.

I pushed him onto his back & shimmied him out of his jeans, grinning when his whole face turned red.

"You not wearing any underwear just makes this all the more easier" I said then winked.

I trailed heated kisses down his torso & over his belly before nibbling around his hip piercings, my hand casually stroking his quickly hardening member. His breathing hitched & he tensed, back arching slightly & hands running through my hair.

"Naraku...oh God..."

I couldn't even admit how nervous I was right now. Giving another dude a blowjob? Hadn't I already established myself as the dominant here? Last time I checked dominates didn't give blow jobs...or did they? But I mean, what if I didn't do it right? Could I possibly be so bad that Sesshomaru just tells me to stop? I mean...that's the worst that could happen right?

"Naraku?"

I hadn't even noticed I had stopped & was just resting my cheek against his hip bone until he called my name. I straightened & gave him a questioning look.

"Is...are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I'm good"

"Why did you stop?"

I looked away. "I...I, uh...um..."

He put a hand on my cheek, his eyes focused on me so intently I would've never known he was horny right now. "If you don't want to...you don't have to"

"I know" I whispered, "It's not that I don't want to, I just...I'm just unsure, that's all"

He frowned slightly in confusion & I sighed.

"You already know I've never done anything like this. This is all so new & it just seemed to happen so fast but then again it wasn't fast enough...I just don't want to fuck it up"

His eyes softened & he smirked. "Do to me what you like done to you"

Well. That made sense.

_**Impress mate...**_ my youki crooned. & impress, I did.

He shuddered as I slowly licked over his hip bone, barely grazing his hardened member. A sense of anxiety rose in me but it didn't hinder me; I actually felt more excited. I glanced down at his dick & felt my eyebrows raise at his size. I mean of course I knew he was big but I didn't know he was..._that _big.

"What's the matter, Naraku?" he crooned breathlessly, smirking arrogantly & raising an eyebrow, "I promise it doesn't bite"

"You better hope _I_ don't bite..." I muttered.

I slowly took it in my mouth & swallowed it inch by inch. I honestly had no idea what I was doing; I was just doing to him what I liked done to me but judging by the low moan that escaped his parted lips & his claws pressed firmly on the back of my head, I think I was doing well. Something felt slightly degrading about this position but hey, it's not like I was going to be doing this often. Plus, this was a lot less...awkward, if that made any sense.

When I got to the base of his dick, I was pleased that he had shaved (nothing worse than pubes up your nose). I reached under him & rolled his balls in my hand, smirking when he gasped & moaned softly.

"Oh my God..." he whispered.

Ya know, I actually kind of liked this. I'm not saying I'd be doing this on the regular but I will be doing this again...soon. I slowly pulled back on his hard shaft, increasing the suction as I went. His breathing got more labored & faster & his back arched up to a point where I could only see the underside of his chin. One of his seventy two mile long legs lifted & rested on my shoulder. I stroked his outter thigh lovingly, humming. His skin was as soft as a baby's face & apparently very sensitive at the moment. He let out a groan that had my loins tightening.

"Mmmm..." I moaned.

His head shot up, eyes half lidded as he look down at me, panting. "D-do that again...do it again"

"Mmmmmm..."

His eyes rolled in the back of his head & the hand in my hair formed a tight fist. "Hooooly shiiiiiit..."

"Mmmmmmmmmmm"

His hips bucked slightly, a choking sound falling from his lips. I was having too much fun with this. I popped his dick out of my mouth & ran the underside of my tongue right under the head like a windshield wiper (a trick an ex used to do to me) & grinned as the leg on my shoulder began to tremble.

"Oh my God...oh my God, that feels so...uhhhh, God, yes"

His shaft was turning red & begging for release. I stroked his balls adoringly in the palm of my hand.

"Are you already ready to cum? I barely got started, baby" I crooned.

"Oh fuck you" Sesshomaru said quietly, his eyes closing again.

He tensed when I licked up & down his dick slowly, keeping eye contact with him. His breaths came out in shuddered pants, one of his hands twisted in my hair, the other hovering near his face as he slowly licked & sucked on his fingers one by one. The display was delicious & naughty; I loved it & wished I could take a picture of it.

When he tensed even more & a strangled cry eased from between his lips I stopped, placing kisses on his torso as I made my way slowly back up to his mouth.

"You're an ass" he growled, glaring at me with so much viciousness, I shuddered.

I only smirked & winked before pulling him up with me to stand & leaning him over the bed. I slapped his ass a few times, chuckling darkly as the shockwaves ripped through the muscle. He groaned, leaning back into the smacks & I grabbed it roughly.

"Mine" I growled in his ear.

"Yours" he whispered seductively.

& from there, I had no idea what to do. Do I have him suck my dick & then just...stick it in his ass or what? Why didn't being gay come with a manuel?

"You might want to wet your finger & scissor me open" Sesshomaru murmured over his shoulder, "Slowly".

Oh. That makes sense then.

I got my index finger dripping wet with spit & gently inserted it into his ass, biting my bottom lip. My God, this shit was tight. I mean I knew it was but damn there was no way in hell I'd be able to put my dick in here without hurting him.

He took deliberate deep breaths, his forehead resting on the bed. I couldn't tell if it felt good to him or not but since he didn't say anything I guess so far so good. Once I got my second knuckle in I tried to insert my middle finger but froze when the hole got even tighter & he hissed.

"Shit, can you give me a moment to adjust please?"

I flushed. "S-Sorry..."

I moved my index finger in & out slowly, feeling the tight ring of muscle slowly loosening & Sesshomaru relaxing. I reached under him with my other hand to massage his balls, hoping to relax him quicker & boy, did it work. He gasped & moaned quietly, rocking backwards slightly & his claws clutching the comforter on the bed. Encouraged, I leaned forward & placed slow open mouthed kisses on his back & across his shoulder blades. His skin was so perfect: perfect to the touch & my taste buds.

"Mmm...Naraku..."

"Are you ready for the next one?" I whispered in his ear.

"Nnngh...yes, Papi"

I raised an eyebrow but slowly inserted my middle finger pass his tight ring of muscle, goosebumps raising on my arms at how tight he was. There was just no way I was going to be able to stick my dick in but then again, at first, I wasn't even sure if I could get one finger in.

Sesshomaru took deeper breaths. I assumed he did it to force himself to relax. I was actually really tempted to pick up my phone on the bedside table & Google ways to relax men as you're scissoring him open but I got the feeling that wouldn't be such a good idea at the moment. Sesshomaru didn't seem like he was one of those guys that would take it lightly if I pick up my phone while we were in the middle of foreplay.

"Faster..." he whispered so softly I barely caught it.

I complied, biting my bottom lip to keep a steady pace. I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep this up for much longer; my dick was already looking for his turn to have at it.

"God, Sesshomaru..." I groaned.

He arched his back & laid his chest flat on the bed, moving back to meet my fingers. My cock twitched when he realized the difference that little shift made.

"Holy shit!"

"I can't keep this up much longer, baby" I moaned.

"Then fuck me" he said over his shoulder, fangs bared. I honestly didn't need to be told twice.

I retracted my fingers & oh so slowly replaced them with my throbbing cock. At first I had a near panic attack because I didn't think it'd be able to go in but then half an inch slid in before he tensed, causing me to have to pause. I leaned forward & slowly kissed him across his shoulder blades, reached around to pinch & rub his nipples.

He hissed softly in pleasure. "N-Naraku...nnngh..."

"Can you handle this, baby?" I whispered huskily in his ear. Goosebumps popped up along his arms & a shudder racked his body.

"Nnnngh, God!"

I slid in until I was halfway in. This tightness...this heat...my legs were shaking with the effort to keep from pounding into him.

"Oh my God, Naraku! Ohhh shit, baby..."

I licked the shell of his ear. "I'm going to fuck you so good, you'll be speaking in tongue before I'm done"

I slid in the rest of the way & Sesshomaru cried out, his arms shaking, but he didn't seem to be in any pain. His cry formed into a loud moan, saying "oh fuck" & "oh shit" over & over. I waited for him to adjust, dragging my tongue across his shoulder blades where sweat was begining to form & the muscles rolled .

I trailed my claws lightly down his torso & fingered his member slowly, hissing in pleasure as I swiped my hand across the head to gather the pre-cum & inserted two fingers in his mouth.

"There you go" I practically growled, "Good boy. That's right, suck on it"

His tongue wrapped around my digits & rolled, saliva running down his chin but neither of us cared.

"You like that, don't you, boy?" I hissed.

He nodded, moaning around my fingers.

I pulled my hips back, only to be stopped by that damn tightness. God it was so fucking _tight!_ I was unconsciously gritting my teeth & frowning in concentration so that I wouldn't lose it & fuck his damn brains out. He wasn't making it any easier with his pleasured moans that were getting louder & louder.

"S-Sessh, baby, I need you to relax. I can't move" I whispered to him.

My eyebrows raised as he sighed & reached down to stroke himself quickly, his moans starting right back up. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to continue what I had been doing or pull out & watch because Kami knew this was beyond sexy to me right now. His ring of muscle slowly relaxed & I was able to slide all the way out & back in. My eyes rolling in the back of my head at the sheer pleasure. Holy mother of God!

"Nnnnngh, fuck, Naraku, that feels so good, baby! Ohhhh shit! Oh my God, baby!"

"Take it, Sesshomaru. That's right, good boy. Good boy, take that dick, bitch!"

I moved faster, my toes curling, wrapping his hair around one hand & pulling on it roughly. Who would've thought Sesshomaru liked it rough? He surprised me with his throaty growl, his fangs bared.

"Harder" he snarled.

I yanked & felt a shudder shimmy down my spine as he groaned, golden eyes fluttering closed & his hips meeting mine a little more forcefully.

"You fuck me s-s-so g-g-good, Daddy" he muttered.

At this rate I was going to cum much sooner than I'd like but slowing down was not an option right now. It just felt too amazing to do that.

His hand was moving so fast I only saw ghost after images of it but then again it wasn't easy focusing on anything else but the quickly approaching climax in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm gun-I'm g-gunna cum...oh shit, Daddy, I'm g-gunna-" he tried to choke out, the pleasure effecting his speech.

"Ah shit" I hissed.

There was a brief pause before I threw my head back & roared, my eyes squeezed so tight my eyelids burned. Less than three seconds later he came as well, shaking so hard the bed was vibrating. I collasped on my side, panting as he laid on his stomach, hair splayed out over & across his shoulders & pillows.

"Wow..." I whispered.

Sesshomaru combed his hair out of his face & turned towards me. "Wow, what?"

I chuckled. "I never realized you liked rough sex"

The grin he gave me was so wicked & mischievous I found myself getting hard again.

"Don't start anything you can't finish now..."

"I'll always be sure to finish...& then make you finish" he whispered, leaning in close for a passionate kiss until we were interrupted by rapid knocking & the bedroom door opening.

I frowned & looked over to find Inuyasha covering his eyes & making gagging noises.

"Oh my G-sweet Kami, burn the image from mine eyes! Let thine holy acid cleanse my virgin mind!"

"What the hell do you want?" I snapped.

The hanyou crossed himself, prompting Sesshomaru to roll his eyes. "Uh, yeah, ok. The new shipment just arrive. Me & Momiji were gunna check it out & wanted to see if you guys wanted to come"

"Give us ten minutes" Sesshomaru muttered, shifting to get out of bed.

"Wait, wait! Damn, can you at least wait until I leave before you just hop out of bed like that? Christ!" Inuyasha shouted, backing out of the room.

Sesshomaru shook his hair out & sighed, slipping into his cargo pants. "You have the same peices of equipment as I do, Yasha"

"Except big balls" I mumbled.

"Fuck you, asshole!" Inuyasha shouted & slammed the door.

Sesshomaru chuckled & slipped into a v-neck shirt. "You get such a kick out of teasing him"

I gasped & put a hand to my chest as if I was surprised. "Me, getting a kick out of someone's embarassment? Why, Sesshomaru, I would never! How could you suggest such a thing?"

The silver haired beauty chuckled & flung one of my shirts at my face. "Get dressed so we can see what the Unit brought back before the good stuff is all gone"

.

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...

When we arrived in front of the gates the Ninja Unit was still unloading their provisions. Every week the city folk gathered to see if the Ninja Unit brought back anything they may want. If it was useful, there was a price but if none of Unit wanted it then they just gave it away. It was like an auction, except there wasn't a guy speaking 205 miles an hour.

"Is there anything in particular that we need?" Sesshomaru asked, lacing his fingers through mine.

"I could go for an umbrella" I answered.

"& I need a new bra" Momiji tossed out there, causing us men to cringe.

"We don't need a bunch of junk filling up the house like last time...Yasha" Sesshomaru warned, narrowing his eyes.

"That was not junk!" the brat snapped.

"You did not need a Playstation 3 & all those damn games" I countered.

"I just wanted to relive my childhood!" Inuyasha replied, dramatically raising his fist to the sky.

"You were barely walking when that system came out, Yasha, you only got it because you like to waste money. Do what you want with your money but don't ask me for any" his brother said.

We came to a stop as the Unit Hummers rolled in, all five of them parking abreast of each other. The doors of the first three were flung open & survivors trickled out, looking around with big eyes set in dirty faces. The city folks began to cheer & welcome them, throwing blankets around their shoulders & leading them off to some part of the city (most likely the restaurants). I grinned at a few who I made eye contact with but my heart wasn't in it. I always hated this part; it always brought my mood down & ruined everyone else's fun.

Sesshomaru squeezed my hand, leaning in close to me. "Today could be the day"

I looked over my other shoulder, facing away from him. "Yeah, maybe"

He could hear I didn't believe him at all but he only kissed my shoulder & rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.

Three hooded survivors climbed out of one of the Hummers, the last of the survivors, & began weaving through the crowd, shrinking away from outstretched hands & shaking their cloaked heads whenever someone tried to talk to them calmly. After the crowd could clearly see they needed some space, they spread out & let them pass, welcoming them anyway.

"They must'a been out there for a long time to come here & still be scared" Inuyasha muttered, shaking his head.

"Out there for so long they probably lost trust in anyone they weren't familiar with" Sesshomaru agreed.

Two hooded figures stopped a few yards from where we were standing, completely still & silent. I got the sense that they were staring at us & began to feel uncomfortable. One of them slowly reached up & slid her hood off, revealing a woman so dirty I couldn't tell if she was just tan or in need of a bath. Her long black, black hair was mostly braided into a thick plait but some locks were free & whipped around her oval face. Why did she seem so familiar? I went back far into my memory, trying to match her face with a memory but nothing came to mind. But those eyes...something stirred in my heart, something that made me want to cry...I knew those eyes...but from where?

She panted. "N...Naraku...?"

My heart stuttered to a stop before kick starting & beating rapidly. I knew that voice! How could I ever forget who this was?

"Oh my God, is that...?" I heard Inuyasha whisper.

"K...K-Kagura..." I choked out, my eyes growing moist.

She sprinted towards me & tackled me onto my back, hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe, but I didn't care because my sister was alive! This whole time it'd always been a constant nagging in my head about whether or not she was ok & even though I wanted to believe she was, something told me there was a very good chance that she hadn't made it but oh thank you Kami, she was ok & she was here in my arms, the safest place she could ever be &...

"Shh, shh, it's ok" I whispered as she sobbed, rubbing her back.

"Naraku I was so afraid for you!" she cried.

I sat up & cradled her to me, kissing her cheek. "Afraid for me? Oh, Rah, why would you worry about me when you had to defend yourself from cannibalistic monsters with a broken leg? You silly girl, I should've been the least of your worries"

"I was worried because I know how stupid & clumsy you can be sometimes!"

"Ok, hold on, don't ruin this moment..."

She laughed & hugged me close again. I sat in a happy daze as she stood & was reaquainted with Inuyasha & Sesshomaru (who I noticed she gave a kiss on the cheek. She stared at him a moment before asking was he happy to which he replied, "Very much so") & was introduced to Momiji (who looked at her as competition). The second figure revealed their face & it turned out to be Bankotsu who beamed at us & spread his arms wide for hugs (besides Momiji who's hand he just shook, smiling & introducing himself). He & Inuyasha hugged for a good minute (Sesshomaru & I exchanged grins) before seperating & clapping each other on the shoulders, chatting as if they hadn't been away from each other in over a year.

I stood & wrapped an arm around Sesshomaru's shoulder, still grinning. "Well you were right. Today was the day"

He smirked. "I'd correct you but I like it when you give me credit"

I smiled & kissed his forehead, closing my eyes as I inhaled the scent of his hair. "I'll let you have it this time"

"Naraku..."

"Hn?"

"Are you happy?"

I looked down at him, into his liquid golden eyes & thought about the first time I met him. It seemed like much more than a year ago. More like a lifetime ago. I barely remembered my days in the firehouse, yelling at the top of my lungs for them to scrub the walls until I could see my reflection. I barely remembered all the mornings I'd get to work, feeling depressed with the thoughts of my dead wife, to find Sesshomaru sprinting out on the track, his facial expression focused. He'd stop after an hour or so & I'd realized I had sat down to watch. I barely remembered when I told him I wanted to leave the city with him & his brother, the pain of dealing with Tsubaki's death still fresh in my heart at the time. Yeah, it all seemed like such a long time ago & we'd been through so much shit since then. But was a I happy?

I chuckled & kissed him slowly. "Very much so" I whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>&amp; that concludes Boppatsu...for now anyway ;D<strong>


	24. Epiloge Part Two

_Seven Months Later..._

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..

.

I stared at myself in the mirror, taking deep even breaths. I could do this...I could do this. I mean millions of people did it before the outbreak & the few hundred people who hadn't been killed off or bitten did it (I guess) so why was I so damn nervous? My hands were literally shaking!

Even my youki was stirring restlessly but it was more excited & nervous. It was finally about to get something that it had been begging for for well over a year now. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't want it (well maybe at first I didn't...), I just honestly don't know how I was going to make it through today.

Kagura came up behind me, straightening my already crisp suit & brushing off imaginary dust. "You're fidgeting a lot. Need something to chill you out?"

I raised an eyebrow at her reflection. "Whatever you're thinking about would probably put me to sleep quicker than a drunk horse"

She smiled. "No, I was just talking about like talking it out with me or something. Not a drug"

"You were definitely refering to a drug"

"Yeah well, that option is out now"

I chuckled then took another deep breath. "Yeah I'm nervous. As hell, really"

"But you've done this before, Naraku"

"I know but...you know it wasn't for the right reason. Tsubaki deserved much better than me; she was the one who loved me unconditionally"

"You loved her too"

"But as a friend"

Kagura sighed. "Yeah, well, it's not the same case now. Even a blind person could see what you & Sesshomaru have is really special"

I nodded, mostly to myself. Yeah, she was right. Sesshomaru & I had a strong bond & everyday it grew stronger (especially when he joined the Ninja Unit & would leave with them about two weeks out of the month). Tsubaki & I were too young to love when we got married. While I feel we should've never gotten married I don't regret it. She was my best friend & motivater. I'd never redo that moment in our lives but I wish she could be here.

Kagura brought me back when she began running her hands over my hair & smoothing it down into a low poinytail. "Now enough of this reminising & stalling. Go wait for your man at the end of the alter"

I faced her & grinned, pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you, Rah. I love you"

"I love you too, ya big lug. Now go, I can hear the music starting"

I let her go & took another deep breath as I left the living room & slowly walked out the front door, down the few steps & into the expansive yard. There weren't many people attending; a few politians, reporters, city folk that I'd befriended as I regularly bought their produce, Bankotsu, Momiji (I saw Kagura slipping into her spot by the preacher, smiling at me) & of course, Musou who was sitting in the front & wagging his tail enthusiastically. I nodded at each & gave Musou a pat on the head as I made my way to the front of the alter where the preacher stood.

He nodded at me, grinning. "Are you ready, young man?"

I faced the way I'd come & laced my fingers together behind my back, smiling knowingly. "I've _been_ ready"

I looked over at Inuyasha who stepped up close beside me. "If you break his heart, I'm gunna break your jaw" he murmured loud enough for only me to hear.

I chuckled, eye focusing up the aisle as the music changed into something sweeter & slower. "I don't expect anything less"

The audience stood & warmth spread throughout my body as the front door opened & Sesshomaru stepped out. I had tried persuading him to wear a dress (I thought it'd look lovely on him) but he absolutely, downright refused (even went so far as cursing me out) but he looked perfect in his white suit, his silver hair cascading over one shoulder in deep waves. A thin viel covered his face but I could still see his eyes shining brightly & fixed onto me.

I smirked when he blushed, causing a few members of audience to gush & "aww". I could not believe that in less than ten minutes this beautiful creature was going to be my husband.

I hadn't noticed my face had been wet until he reached me & swiped his thumb under my eye. "You big crybaby" he whispered, smiling.

I chuckled & turned to face the pastor who beamed. "Ladies & gentlemen...we are gathered here today..."

I zoned out on most of it. It's not that I was bored or anything, excitment was just making me a little restless. I smirked when I noticed Sesshomaru shifting his weight every few minutes out the corner of my eye. Good thing we decided to have the wedding in the evening instead of morning like he originally wanted; I'd hate for him to get sick during our wedding ceremony.

"Do you, Naraku, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have & to hold? To love & to cherish? In good times & in the bad? In sickness & in health until death or undead do you part?"

"I most certainly do" I replied, squeezing Sesshomaru's hand.

"& do you, Sesshomaru, take Naraku to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have & to hold, to love & to cherish, in good times & in bad, in sickness & in health until death or undead do you part?"

"Of course I do" he replied & warmth spread up my arms & into my eyes.

"By the powers invested in me I declared you both married. You may now kiss your husband"

The audience cheered as I leaned him down at a forty five degree angle & kissed him. I heard Inuyasha murmuring behind me, something about, "Was all that necessary?" but I didn't care. I was married to the first man I've ever & ever will love.

I straightened & cupped his face. "I love you so much" I whispered, not caring about the few tears that landed on my wrist.

"I love you too" he responded & our lips met for another short but passionate kiss.

...

...

...

...

..

.

Naraku slipped into the space beside me in the booth & set down a tall, black & gold hookah, situating the burning coal on top of it before screwing the hose on. "So tell me, Rah, how it all went down"

Kagura, along with Bankotsu & Momiji sitting across from us, shifted in her seat, glancing over at Bankotsu briefly. "Well, it wasn't anything...spectacular & it happened so quickly I-"

"Oh please" Bankotsu interrupted with a laugh, "When those zombies finally broke through the gate you were waiting on them, out in front of the black hotel with guns blazing"

I chuckled as she blushed, frowning at Naraku when he held the end of the hose to his mouth to inhale the smoke. He glanced at me & pouted, passing it to Inuyasha. He'd worked this hard quitting cigarettes, he wasn't going to pick up smoking hookahs.

"You make it sound like I wasn't scared as shit" Kagura said, smirking.

"It was so cool" Bankotsu said, accepting the hose from Inuyasha & taking a deep inhale of the sweet smoke, "She & I were just taking those undead bastards out left & right while the rest of the people in the city ran for their lives, those cowardly bastards. I can't believe Suikotsu was the first to high tail it out of there"

"He wasn't fooling anybody with that 'I'm head dude in charge' bullshit" Naraku growled.

"But the fact that just a few days before the zombies took over the city, he was telling everyone how he was going to lead us to safety & everyone was going to get out ok & all this other shit, just made karma that much sweeter" Kagura grumbled, accepting the hose from Bankotsu.

"So what happened to him?" Inuyasha asked.

"His dumbass was trying to drive out of the city through the gate even though the gate had collasped & the zombies broke into his car & ripped him apart" Bankotsu replied with a faint smile on his face.

"& Dr. Totosai?" Naraku asked.

Kagura & Bankotsu both looked away & down at the table.

"He wanted to go down with his ship, so to speak" the human male said quietly.

"He felt there was nothing for him to do anymore & his time was up" Kagura whispered.

I looked over at Naraku whose eyes dulled. I wonder what he was thinking? Did he regret the last words he spoke to the doctor? Did he wish he hadn't been so rough with him? I reached under the table & squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, a very small smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

"So how did you two manage to escape?" I said, trying to change the subject a little.

Bankotsu took the hose from Inuyasha. "Once we ran out of bullets, we took off in hopes of finding more weapons & almost quite literally ran into a van that was still running. Whoever had turned the car on had gotten out, or dragged out by the zombies, since there was a trail of blood on the ground leading from the driver's side, so Kagura & I jumped in & took off without looking back"

"How did you get picked up by the Ninja Unit?" Naraku questioned.

"Well we'd run out of gas & were starving a few days after escaping the city. We broke down pretty close to this cave that someone had made into a little home-"

I noticed Naraku's head jerk up to look at his sister then at Momiji who grinned. Did he recognize the home she'd just mentioned? Had he been the one who'd lived there?

"-& there were like thousands upon thousands of zombies just walking in one direction so we followed them but then this sandstorm kicked up &...yeah, I don't really remember the rest very well" she admitted.

Momiji swallowed hard. "Did...did you see anyone?"

Kagura pursed her lips in thought. "Well...I kinda remember something...something like shadows darting around & killing the zombies, making them drop like flies. I couldn't see & could barely hear but I do remember the shadows"

"The Ninja Unit" Naraku whispered.

"Yeah" Bankotsu said with a nod, "The sandstorm ended about a day & a half later & we were just standing in a fuckin' zombie graveyard or something. Bodies just surrounded us. A few hours of walking & this Hummer just comes out of nowhere & the Unit saved us & brought us here"

"Wow..." Momiji whispered.

After a moment of silent pondering from everyone, Naraku yawned. "Well guys it's been a long day & I have to be back here early in the am"

"You really love being the manager of a hookah bar don't you?" Kagura asked suspiciously.

He only winked at her.

"It's only ten though" Inuyasha commented.

"My baby's gatta get his sleep, not to mention this smoke is not good for his health at the moment" my husband replied, helping me stand. His hand dropped to my belly & rubbed affectionately.

"Aww I bet you two are gunna go snuggle huh?" Momji asked with a smile.

I shrugged. "Probably"

"You guys have to get going anyway. Bankotsu & Inuyasha, I just had the water & electricity turned on in your house & Kagura, your house is still being worked on" Naraku said, gathering his coat.

"Why couldn't I have my own house?" Momiji asked with a pout but no one answered for obvious reason. We still thought of her as a little sister & to be honest, I thought of her as almost a daughter.

"Come, Naraku. The baby's trying to lodge my rib in my lungs" I grumbled & waved at everyone.

"You two were kinda fun when y'all were just dating" Inuyasha mumbled, "When y'all got married, it was ok. But now that you two are about to have a kid you're both borin'"

I chuckled. "When you & Bankotsu get married & have kids, you'll know why we are the way we are"

Naraku laughed as Bankotsu's face turned beet red & Inuyasha spluttered, swearing & yelling. Yeah...life was good.


End file.
